Sum of our Parts
by AngelSlayer135
Summary: Natsuko and Akane Uzumaki are as different as Yin and Yang. Yet their bond as sisters might just be strong enough to get them through the trials of being Kunoichi, despite all that is thrown at them.
1. A Challenge Issued

**Sum of our Parts**

A Challenge Issued

***I hold no ownership over anything Naruto related. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

'I'm getting too old for this shit…' The Hokage lamented, as he sat in his office. In front of him sat Iruka Umino, along with Natsuko and Akane Uzumaki.

The elderly man chuckled to himself, had he not known any better he would have sworn that those two weren't even related.

Akane's red hair as opposed to Natsuko's blonde.

Natsuko was shorter than the average student while Akane was among the tallest.

Akane wore dark colors that completely covered her body allowing her to blend in, while her sister would not give up the hideously bright orange that she wore at all times.

Natsuko was an endless source of joy and happiness, always social and talkative. Never letting anything get her down or appear sad.

Akane was closed off and protective, especially of her sister. She never let anyone close and even when someone managed to do so the poor girl was always on guard.

When his time finally came Sarutobi realized that Minato and Kushina were going to kick his ass for what he allowed to happen to their children.

Letting out a soft sigh the Third turned his attention back to the matter at hand. The forbidden scroll had been stolen and he needed to know specifics. Of course he knew WHO had stolen it, he wasn't called 'The Professor' for nothing after all.

Rather he wanted to know WHY they stole it… and most importantly.

How in the hell an academy student had managed to break into what was supposed to be the most secure room in the entire village, steal an extremely important object, and escape without anyone noticing for over an hour.

This thought prompted the Hokage to send an unnoticed, by the three seated in front of him, glare at the ANBU hidden throughout the room.

Not being able to track down two academy students was one thing, and a serious thing at that. But having their security breached by said academy students was just plain embarrassing.

"Okay Natsuko, how about we start from the beginning." The elderly Shinobi asked, in as calm and friendly as a voice as he could manage, trying to put both girls at ease.

"Okay Jiji, well it all started at the academy today…"

 _***Flashback***_

"SHUT UP YOU BRATS!" Iruka shouted unleashing the full might of his _'big head jutsu'_ against the class.

Immediately seeing them quiet down the teacher began his lesson, summing up the importance of the Genin exam and what each part would entail.

After barely making it through the Genjutsu portion, the class made their way outside to the sparring grounds.

Another half an hour and the accuracy portion of the exam was done as well, with the results that had been expected.

"Okay then normally we would be doing student against teacher spars to determine your competency, but since my back hurts after staying up all night to grade your final projects and Mizuki isn't feeling well…" at this the scarred man glanced over at his fellow teacher, noticing the telltale signs of a hangover when he saw them.

Mizuki just growled in response.

"Instead we will be doing student against student spars while I grade your overall technique. We will be starting with…"

The spars soon went underway as the various students were paired up against a random member of their own gender, in order to "keep it fair" as Iruka explained.

Various levels of competency were shown with the academy style up until they reached the clan specific styles. There the gap widened considerably.

Kiba dominated his opponent, a random student from a civilian clan.

Hinata also won her spar, despite her self-confidence issues.

"Very good Hinata, I see you have been practicing. Have you been able to receive any additional training at home?"

"Unfortunately n-no Iruka-Sensei, b-branch c-clan members are not a-allowed access to m-much of the Juken techniques."

The older man could only nod sadly. Hinata had been dealt a lot of bad luck in her lifetime. She had been born into the Branch Clan due to her father's late birth, her mother dying young, then the Hyuga incident taking her father away from her. It was no wonder she had problems with shyness.

As the random matchups continued it was clear on who had been taking their training seriously and who had not.

Natsuko and Akane had both easily defeated their opponents, while Sakura and Ino had been randomly matched up. At this point Iruka had been wondering whether or not Kami just hated him enough to make them sit through what quickly turned into an insult and shouting match, until the time ran out.

"How in the heck did those two make it this far?" Mizuki muttered, clearly disappointed with the two girls.

"The worst part is they will both probably graduate." Iruka whispered back, shaking his head at the requirements to actually becoming a Genin. Although he was all for promoting balance and intellect along with skill sometimes he thought it was a bit skewed in favor of civilian families.

"Last up we have Sasuke Uchiha, unfortunately since we had an odd number of males this year we will need to recycle someone. Do we have any volunteers?" Iruka called out.

Crickets chirped, as the silence dragged on.

'Oh come on, just because he wins every single fight doesn't mean the students need to be afraid of him. I thought I explained that it didn't matter who the victor was, just the show of skill.'

"I'll take him on." A feminine voice called out, shocking many in attendance.

Akane Uzumaki walked forward into the ring, her eyes focused on her potential opponent in front of her.

"Oh come on that's not fair, Sasuke can't fight a girl."

"What kind of fight would that be? He's going to easily win."

"Why should she be allowed to get close to Sasuke-Kun?"

"He is going to tear her to pieces; I hear Itachi trains him personally."

"He's so dreamy, just like his brother."

Iruka ignored the comments from the other students before stepping closer to the challenger and whispering to her softly.

"Are you sure Akane? You already fought once so you aren't required to volunteer, especially against a male student."

'Especially considering he is the top of the class and you are at the bottom.' was what the man had wanted to say, but knew better by this point.

Despite her terrible grades Akane had shown terrifying skill during her Taijutsu matches. It had been the general consensus among the instructors that the only ones who could beat her were Hinata, due to her clan's skill, and Sasuke.

Of course she had never fought the boy before.

"He needs an opponent and I haven't had enough stress relief for one day so yes let's get this started." The girl proclaimed, earning a raised eyebrow from her opponent.

"Very well," Iruka quickly left the ring before nodding in confirmation at the two students.

"Hajime!"

 _***SooP***_

The two shot towards each other with surprising speed and began to exchange blows.

Sasuke's ' _interceptor style_ ' against… well whatever the hell style Akane used.

'It is a pity that she never had any skill for the academy style, with the rules as they are she will fail no matter how well she does.' Iruka sadly noted.

'At least it might shake the fan-girls out of their stupor though, to see how a Kunoichi should act.'

It was a good matchup after all, Sasuke was faster but Akane seemed to be physically stronger, along with… well it was hard to describe. Slowly she was pushing the Uchiha into a corner, allowing him to hit with glancing blows just to push him back further.

Finally she had maneuvered him to where he couldn't dodge past her, and landed a blow to his stomach. The boy coughed and took a step back, before wiping the saliva off his face and glaring up at his opponent.

The onlookers, at this point, were dead silent. How had this orphan brat managed to lay a hand on the most talented student at the academy?

Then Sasuke grinned earning a small smirk from his opponent as well, before throwing himself back into the fight at full force.

Soon the two just began exchanging blows, with little thought to dodging or even blocking as they just seemed to be working out their frustrations and pent up aggression on each other.

 _***SooP***_

Finally Iruka had to call the spar to a halt. It had long since gone past just friendly sparring and the two were bleeding and covered in bruises.

Sasuke had forced the girl onto the ground, with his hand held up, as if ready to strike a final blow against her head.

Meanwhile Akane had her right hand around the boy's throat, lightly enough that she wasn't choking him, but hard enough to make its presence known.

"That's quite enough you two, I think you both showed off your skills to the point of nearly killing each other." Iruka would have chuckled had he not been worried about it actually happening.

"Not bad Uzumaki. You might be the dead last dobe, but you sure pack a strong punch."

"We should do that again sometime." The redhead agreed. "I enjoyed the feeling of smacking that pretty face of yours around."

"YOU WILL NOT LAY A FINGER ON SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura practically shouted in the poor girl's ear, earning a glare in response.

"Oh? Then maybe you would like to go a few rounds Haruno? After all your match with Ino was a bit lacking…" the Uzumaki responded, a menacing gleam in her eyes.

"Uh… Oh look at the time Iruka-Sensei shouldn't we get ready for the written exam?" Sakura quickly responded changing the subject as Natsuko ran up to her sister, giggling in excitement.

"You rock onee-chan!" The blonde happily exclaimed, earning a genuine smile from her sister.

Iruka had never quite figured out why Natsuko called her that, considering they were both the same age, but figured it had to do with their personalities.

 _***SooP***_

The written portion had gone as Iruka expected, and soon left him with a large clump of papers to grade.

"Alright class time for the Ninjutsu portion. You will each come up individually into the curtained off area and display the three required academy jutsu."

Again the process went as normal, most students being able to pass this portion, until he came to the Uzumaki sisters.

This time the teacher grimaced. Knowing what lied in store for him next but hoping that Kami had taken pity on the two girls.

Natsuko came up first, and performed the ' _Kawarimi'_ and _'Henge'_ without incident, but still could not form a correct _'Bunshin'_.

"I am sorry Natsuko, but the Ninjutsu portion has to be passed in order to graduate." Iruka said sadly, truly feeling bad for the young girl as she hung her head in defeat.

"Aw come on Iruka, maybe we can overlook this? I mean so far she has done okay on all the other portions." Mizuki chimed in, a smile hiding his true intent.

"I would like to really I would but I can't bend the rules. Sorry Natsuko."

The young blonde shook the tears away before putting on a fake smile and walking out, happily replying that she would "get it next time."

Next in was her sister, who just stared at the two men emotionlessly.

Iruka just sighed, knowing what was coming next.

"Any progress at all Akane?"

"None, I can't perform Ninjutsu or Genjutsu."

"I see, I am sorry then but I have to fail you. I really wish I could help you with this."

The redhead merely shrugged before turning and leaving the area to find her sister.

 _***_ End Flashback _***_

"After that Mizuki approached me and claimed that if I completed the super-secret bonus exam he would let me and Akane pass." Natsuko explained much to the displeasure of those around her.

'Bastard manipulated my sister. At least he is in custody now.' Akane thought darkly.

"I understand that Natsuko and you are not in trouble for this, I would like to ask what happened when Mizuki finally confronted you though." The Hokage inquired.

"Oh well luckily onee-chan found me before he did, she always was good at finding me, and figured out what was going on. Then Iruka-Sensei showed up a bit later and we all took that teme down a notch!"

"Indeed, from what I heard of the ANBU report Mizuki was covered in some very serious bruises." Well now that only leaves one more question, why do you have Iruka's headband Natsuko?" the elder man questioned, pointing to the metal plate that adorned the adorable girl's forehead.

"I can answer that Hokaga-Sama, Natsuko was able to learn and master the ' _Kage-Bunshin'_ from the forbidden scroll before we located her, and since that was the primary reason for her failure I decided that she had more than earned it, even if she did poorly on her written exam she would just barely pass."

"But what about onee-chan?"

"I'm sorry Natsuko but Akane can't perform any of the academy required jutsu, we can't let her pass despite her aid in apprehending Mizuki."

"But that's not fair! Onee-chan helped just as much as I did she should be allowed to pass too! I only did this so that we could pass together."

"Hokage-Dono, could I have a moment to speak with my sister alone please?" the redhead suddenly spoke up, earning a nod and a sad frown from the aged Hokage, he could still remember when they were younger when she too would call him Jiji…

The 'older' of the two sisters grabbed the other and took them both outside of the office to discuss something. A few minutes later the various Jonin instructors entered the Hokage's chambers, having been summoned earlier to discuss future team placements.

 _***SooP***_

"Ah perfect timing as always I am glad to see that all… most of you are here." The Hokage greeted, noting with some irritation that Kakashi was late… again…

"As you know the academy exams took place earlier today and although we do not have a finalized list we can be fairly accurate on who will have graduated and who failed. Thus I would like to hear any requests or recommendations."

"I would like to have Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji in my squad Hokage-Sama." Asuma called out immediately.

A few grumbles were heard about receiving such an easy team to work with but when no one objected Hiruzen nodded before marking it down on his list.

"Actually Hokage-Sama, I would like to request Natsuko, Akane, and Hinata." The Genjutsu mistress spoke out.

"Uhm with all due respect Kurenai it doesn't look like either Uzumaki will pass." Asuma responded.

"Why not, Akane has shown more than sufficient skill in stealth, kunai, and Taijutsu skill. Her sister is a bit rough on her chakra control but is average or above in everything else."

"But neither of them could perform the necessary academy jutsu."

"Well if that is what determines whether students pass or not then who would like to tell Rock Lee that he has to go back to the academy? If I remember correctly your student was unable to perform jutsu either correct Gai-San?"

"That is correct Kurenai-San… however to do so would be most un-youthful…" the dark tone that the Shinobi spoke in made it clear that he was not happy with having his student called a failure, and that anyone who suggested he was would be having the conversation with him instead.

"O-of course Lee-San is okay. After all he showed dramatic improvements but…"

"From the looks of their previous test scores they won't pass that portion either. Plus if I am reading this correctly Akane failed the Taijutsu portion." Genma remarked, earning a suspicious gaze from the female.

Just as she was about to respond the door opened again and the two sisters returned, cautiously looking around the room at the Shinobi assembled.

"Ah we were just talking about you two girls, please have a seat. I assume you have settled whatever it is you were discussing?

"Yes Hokage-Dono." Akane remarked, not noticing the slight wince from the older man.

"This is ridiculous neither of them should be allowed to pass. They failed almost all of the necessary portions of the exam. Besides an all Kunoichi squad is asking for failure." A random Jonin by the name of Masaru interrupted, earning a death glare from the Kunoichi present.

"And why would that be Masaru-San?" Kurenai inquired, gritting her teeth.

"None of them have shown any promise this year, unlike the men. The Hyuga has no confidence, Ino and Sakura and practically useless, and the two De… I mean Uzumaki brats can't perform basic techniques." The man replied.

"I have a proposition for you Hokage-Dono." Akane spoke up, earning a surprise look from all those present.

"Oh, and what might that be Akane?"

"Since this is causing so much trouble I purpose a wager. Have all the Jonin sensei take the standard academy exam, if their combined scores average out as passing my sister and I will retake the exam until we are able to pass it. However if the scores are failing on average, you allow us to pass."

The room fell silent as eyes turned towards the Hokage, as the Jonin watched in horror as he appeared to be contemplating it.

"H-Hokage-Sama, surely you are not considering this…" The offending Jonin asked.

"Why not Masaru? It seems like a rather simple request and it would end any debate that we might be having on this subject. Besides I am SURE that none of my Jonin would fail even a single portion of the exam correct?"

"I'll take that bet Hokage-Dono."

This time even the older Sarutobi's face snapped back to the redhead, who had a dangerous smirk on her face.

"Since you are so confident in your Jonin I bet that if a single one of them fails even one portion of the exam then you provide us with extra training material and help that we normally would not have access to, no questions asked, so long as it is not specifically forbidden information."

"Alright you little brat! Then if we pass every part you agree to quit being a Shinobi forever." This time it was Masaru who answered, the Hokage starting to feel as though he was just a bystander in this conversation.

"Deal" Akane replied with confidence.

The Hokage could only sigh, and noticed the slightly nervous look on Iruka's face. "Alright now the only question remaining is… who gets to tell Kakashi he has to redo the academy exam?"

 _***SooP***_

Kurenai had always been proud of her patience, after all as a Genjutsu master you had to learn to have a large amount of it when dealing with slow and subtle manipulations that they were often call on to do.

However being forced to sit in academy seats that were designed for children, with her knees knocking into desks far too low for over three hours while they waited for Kakashi to arrive was starting to test her.

That being said most of the other Jonin in the room were plotting on how to kill the masked man when he finally arrived.

Anko had been the one to start the conversation, after she had been informed earlier that day that she was to be included in the Jonin group.

"I still say fill his apartment with snakes, you can get some that are just poisonous to kill you but not enough to make it quick, think of it as slowly drowning on your own fluids while your eyes bleed out." The snake mistress tried again to convince the other Jonin on how to kill the only Jonin not present.

"Nah too quick and easy, besides what if he has an antidote or something under his mask? I say we set him on fire, there are few things in this world that fire doesn't solve after all." Asuma replied with a sage nod.

Just then the conversation halted as the door opened up.

"Yo" Kakashi greeted with an eye smile, his orange book already in his hand.

"What about snakes that are on fire?"

 _***SooP***_

Once more Sarutobi sat in his office, Iruka was already there, sweating nervously for some reason, as were the two Uzumaki sisters.

"Hey onee-chan, can we go out for ramen after this?"

"Have you found a Kunoichi outfit that isn't completely orange yet?"

"Uhhh no?"

"Then no."

"AWWW COME ON! Ramen is like the best thing since… ramen!"

The Hokage smiled at the relationship between the two. Though he wasn't able to protect and care for them as much as he needed to he was glad that they had each other to look out for.

He was pulled out of his thoughts though as the door slammed open and in walked a handful of very annoyed Shinobi. Apparently they had not appreciated being sent back to the academy for a day of pre-Genin exams.

What surprised the Hokage the most though was when Anko walked in the door, her eyes immediately falling on the two sisters.

"GAKIS!" The woman gleefully exclaimed, before running over and tackling the two females out of their chairs.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Asuma questioned, face palming at the display in the office.

Natsuko replied by hugging onto the Jonin, giggling happily that her "Anko nee-chan was visiting"

Even Akane seemed to be gracing the world with one of her rare smiles.

"I didn't know you two would be here! How have you been?"

"Um Anko these are the two who convinced the Hokage to do that test." Genma called out, causing a serious look to pass over the woman's face.

"Gakis… is that true?"

Seeing them both nod the woman's face split into a huge grin.

"OOOOOH THAT WAS A GREAT PRANK!"

"What the hell is going on?" Genma questioned, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can assure you Anko-San that it was not a prank now if you would be so kind as to allow our two guests to return to their seats we can start this meeting." Hiruzen ordered in a friendly tone, smiling at the woman's interaction with the two girls.

"Fine… you two owe me dango afterwards though."

"Now that everyone has… where is Kakashi?"

"Seriously… can that man ever be on time?"

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that Jiji, let's just say I overheard the Jonin talking about him the other day so I decided to give him some incentive to showing up…" Natsuko cheerfully replied, earning a questioning look.

"Natsuko what did you…"

Suddenly the previously shut door was thrown open as the sound of lightning and thunder crashed outside. In walked an obviously infuriated Hatake Kakashi, his eyes slowly sweeping across the room, daring anyone to speak.

"Who. Did. This?"

"What are you upset about my eternal rival?" Gai happily inquired.

With a single move the masked Jonin brought out what appeared to be a normal Icha Icha book, much to the annoyance of the Kunoichi in the room.

"I don't see what the problem is Kaka…" But before Asuma could finish the cyclopean Shinobi opened the book, revealing the horrors that lay inside.

It had all been replaced with Yaoi pornography.

Anko immediately burst out laughing, falling to the floor as tears came to her eyes.

Even Kurenai had to turn her back so that she could try and contain her laughter.

The men simply looked on in horror.

"Who…."

Suddenly his attention was drawn to the short bundle of energy and joy that was the laughing Natsuko Uzumaki.

"You…."

He took a step toward her, which he immediately regretted.

Akane was in front of him in an instance, glaring into his lone eye as if daring him to finish the sentence. The scariest part was when he felt a kunai tapping against his upper thigh, dangerously close to the more sensitive parts on a male.

"Enough, Kakashi I am growing weary of this inability of yours to arrive on time. I am expecting this to change when you are assigned a Genin team. Akane if you would be so kind as to refrain from changing Kakashi into a female I would appreciate it, the paperwork involved in formal sex changes is quite extensive."

"As you wish Hokage-Dono." The female replied, moving back to stand next to her sister, while keeping the masked Jonin in her sight the entire time.

 _***SooP***_

"Now then, if you would start this meeting Iruka."

"Yes of course Hokage-Sama, as you know the Jonin present were all required to take the same test that the academy students were forced to several days ago. The exam is split into several sections which are graded and added into a final score, however if the any of the three Ninjutsu are failed then the student fails immediately." The scarred man explained, earning a nod of confirmation from the Hokage.

"The first portion was Genjutsu which they all passed by breaking the illusion immediately."

"I had assumed so, because if one of my Jonin had failed this portion they would no longer be a Jonin."

The instructor laughed nervously before being interrupted.

"We can concede that the Ninjutsu portion will also have been passed by all Shinobi as well Hokage-Dono." Akane spoke up suddenly, wanting to save time.

"Of course, now then Iruka if you would start with the Taijutsu portion."

"Well the thing is Hokage-Sama this part of the exam was never intended for Jonin and so…"

"I understand that Iruka this will not reflect on any of the Jonin's abilities."

"Of course but…"

"CEASE THIS MOST UNYOUTHFUL STALLING AND SHOUT THE GLORIES OF MY YOUTHFUL TECHNIQUE IRUKA-SAN SURELY THE SUBLIME GREEN BEAST HAS EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS OF SUCCESS!" Gai shouted, assuming his "nice guy" pose for further emphasis.

"You all failed." Iruka muttered out.

The silence was deafening. The cigarette and pipe both fell out of the male Sarutobi's mouths.

Gai seemed to be frozen mid stance, his face stuck in a cheerful grin as it seemed like his mind had collapsed and his body had yet to catch up with it.

The other Jonin in the room seemed equally shocked, no one quite knowing what to say.

Akane merely smirked.

"HOW COULD SAY SOMETHING SO UNYOUTHFUL IRUKA-SAN!?" Gai cried out, tears pouring from his face.

"I equally would like to know how ALL of my Jonin sensei failed Iruka…" The Hokage agreed, noticing the smirk on the young redhead's face.

"The Taijutsu portion of the academy exam only grades skill in the basic style and in Clan specific styles. Since those are the only ones the teachers are informed enough about, otherwise a student could just make up a style and act like they are proficient at it."

"ARE YOU DOUBTING THE YOUTHFULNESS OF THE ' _STRONG FIST'_?"

"O-of course not Gai-Sama, I am just explaining the rules of why everyone failed."

"You knew didn't you Akane?"

Suddenly the attention went to the young girl who Hiruzen had just addressed.

"Of course Hokage-Dono, never make a bet unless you already know the outcome." The girl replied.

"An academy student fooled and manipulated the Hokage and a dozen other Jonin, and we are considering failing her?" Kurenai muttered in disbelief.

 _***SooP***_

"Very well Iruka you may continue." The Sandaime motioned after everyone had finally settled down.

"Uh well next is the accuracy portion."

"Is this necessary Hokage-Sama I think we can all hit the lethal points on a wooden training dummy." Kakashi droned out.

"Well duh Kakashi-San but so can my sister and she didn't pass either. That isn't the point is it Iruka-Sensei?" the young blonde replied, earning some worried looks from both the instructor and the Jonin present.

"Please tell me that all my Jonin didn't fail the accuracy portion as well." Sarutobi almost begged.

"Ahem of course not Hokage-Sama." Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief. "Only most of them did." Which lead to a sigh of annoyance.

"The targets were supposed to be in the center mass, not the 'kill areas'." Iruka hesitantly explained.

"Why the hell would you ever aim for the center of a target? That's where the armor is strongest." Asuma complained, seeing nods of agreeance from his fellow Jonin.

"Well this used to be a circular target but we changed it a few years back to human shaped to help the students ease into the idea of fighting." Iruka tried to explain.

"Never mind that for now, what was the last portion of the test Iruka?" The Hokage asked, already feeling a massive headache coming on from this situation.

"The written portion Hokage-Sama."

"Ah well hopefully my Jonin are as bright as I believe them to be."

"Indeed Hokage-Sama they did considerably better on this portion of the test." Iruka praised earning confident smiles from the adults in the room.

"Almost half of them passed this portion."

These were the days that the Hokage thought of simply walking out of his office and not coming back.

 _***SooP***_

"This is such crap, who the hell needs to know 'at what angle to throw a kunai in order to hit the enemy ninja who is running at a seventy five degree angle and is one hundred feet from you.'?" Genma muttered, as the group of Jonin gathered to hear the recap of the questions.

"To be honest I just put 'high enough so that it hits the jerk'." Anko snickered, although she had failed the test she found it rather hilarious in the long run.

"So Iruka what is the average scores of the Jonin?" The Sandaime inquired, trying to put this entire incident behind him as soon and as quietly as possible.

"The average was a fifty-two percent taking everything into account." The teacher answered, not wanting to make eye contact with any of the glaring Shinobi.

"Well then I believe that is below failing. Congratulations Akane and Natsuko you both pass." The elderly ninja happily praised.

"Not just that Hokage-Dono, don't forget the wager you allowed your Shinobi to make for you." The redhead declared with a smirk.

"How could I…" the Hokage sighed, sending a glare towards Masaru, who had the decency to look ashamed. "We will discuss your requests once you are settled into your team, for now you two are dismissed, don't forget to return to the academy tomorrow for team placements."

Natsuko cheered happily while her sister nodded in thanks and departed.

 _***SooP***_

"Well since all of the grading and testing is done we should do our final team placements."

"Hokage-Sama I request to have Sasuke Uchiha, Natsuko Uzumaki, and Akane Uzumaki on my team." Kakashi declared.

"Hokage-Sama I have already expressed my interest in having Natsuko Uzumaki, and Akane Uzumaki on my team along with Hinata Hyuga." The woman interrupted.

"Now now Kurenai you can't have everything that you want. Besides an all Kunoichi team is dangerous." Asuma butted in, further annoying the Jonin.

"So it would be fine for you and Kakashi to have everything you asked for but not me? Also remind me why an all Kunoichi team is a bad idea?"

Before Asuma could dig a deeper hole for himself Iruka decided to add in his opinion.

"Actually Hokage-Sama I agree with Kurenai-San. Akane seems to be very weary of others and Hinata is one of the few she does get along with, furthermore I would be hesitant to split those two up with how much they depend on each other.

"We have been suffering from a major issue lately Hokage-Sama, the fact of the matter is that Kunoichi, have been earning a bad reputation in the ninja world recently and Konoha is no exception. We are seen as being weaker and inferior to our male counterparts and most of this year's graduates only reinforce that image. The only three Kunoichi that seem to be taking this seriously are the three I have requested." The red eyed Kunoichi explained.

"A good argument Kurenai, is there anyone who can make one against it?"

"It is dangerous Hokage-Sama! What if they are targeted?" Masaru cried out, earning further glares from the women in the room.

"Then it would be no different than if your team were targeted I would imagine." Kurenai replied.

"Enough, I agree with Kurenai's request and her team will be as she requested. Kakashi you will be given Kiba Inuzuka instead to help form a sense of companionship with Sasuke as well as help balance out Sakura's physical weaknesses. Unfortunately this leaves us with one extra with Shino Aburame. I have decided to place him with you Asuma, this will help push Shikamaru into a leadership role and give him more to work with when it comes to the strategizing he is shown to excel at." The village leader finished.

"I suggest you all read up on your Genin teams so that if they pass your tests you will be prepared for them. I am expecting many great things from this year's students.

***A/N***

Woo chapter 1 is done! This is my first Naruto FanFiction, and as far as I can tell the first FF to have two sisters instead of Naruto, so I hope I did a good job. If not please tell me where I can improve.

I know I missed a lot of character interactions but this was more of a setup chapter, and picking on Jonin chapter, than anything else.

A few things people probably noticed or were curious about: Hinata is branch clan in this story, because the fact that her father was born a few minutes earlier than his twin was just way too easy of a target. Since that is the case the Hyuga incident happened in the same way, except that Hiasha was exchanged for Hizashi rather than the other way around. Also Hinata's mother still does die like in canon, how much this will influence I haven't decided yet but Hinata's personality will be slightly different.

The Uchiha clan massacre was considerably toned down, in mine there are far more survivors and Itachi was never forced to become a missing-nin, partially because I dislike the whole "I had to kill them and torture my brother but I swear I'm a good guy!" idea, and partially because I plan on making Sasuke less emo and broody since it just got annoying.

Obviously Naruto is replaced by Natsuko and Akane. The reasons for their various developmental problems will be explained later, but they are both Jinchuuriki to the Kyuubi making Minato no longer one like in canon.

For any who are concerned no this will not be a bashing Fic, I will be picking on a few of the characters a bit more, such as Kiba, Sasuke, Ino, and Sakura, but most of that is just harmless or to point out their flaws.

If I do start majorly bashing someone and don't realize it please PM or put it in a review and I will change it.

 **Finally I have not decided on what pairings, if any, will be in this story. So for the next few chapters I encourage everyone to PM or review with their suggestions. I have a few in mind but nothing concrete and I would be just as happy without pairings at all if readers feel that would be better.**

As always I hope you all enjoyed reading this, I had a hell of a lot of fun writing it.


	2. Tests and Trials

**Some of our Parts**

Tests and Trials

***I don't own crap. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

'Just a few more minutes and it will be time for my vacation' Iruka sighed to himself, while observing the group of students, whose volume and excitement seemed to increase with each passing moment.

Normally the teacher would be thrilled to see his students so lively and ready for the day. Unfortunately the topic of the day was who would be on "Sasuke-Kun's" team, which of course meant that this was the only conversation that could be heard.

"No way in hell Ino pig I am going to be on Sasuke-Kun's team, why would he be allowed with anyone besides the top female in the class?"

"Because forehead even though you might be the best test taker everyone knows that I am clearly superior to you and that stupid haircut you have."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"You want to come over here and prove that?"

"Oh I wouldn't want to mess up that makeup that you spent so little thought on."

"You take that back!"

"Make me you…"

"GIRLS BE QUIET!" Iruka had finally had enough with the shouting match that was slowly pushing him into migraine status.

Just then the last two members of the graduating class entered, the Uzumaki sisters, just as the bell was about to ring.

"Hey this is for _graduating_ students only Akane, that means you and your loser sister have to…" Sakura began, still feeling the adrenaline rush from her unresolved argument with Ino.

"But we did graduate Sakura, see!" the blonde happily exclaimed, showing off her forehead protector, while Akane merely pointed to hers.

"Ha how the hell did you two losers graduate? Did they take pity on you and figure you might make decent housewives someday?" The Inuzuka laughed.

"Doesn't he ever know when to shut up?" Shikamaru muttered, earning a negative head shake from Shino, while Choji burped in response.

"You say something mutt?" Akane spoke up, directing her glare toward the boy who unconsciously pushed his seat back a bit.

"Both Natsuko and Akane Uzumaki passed Kiba. They were brought in to help on a ninja mission to apprehend a traitor and in the process received field promotions from the Hokage himself." Technically it was partially true at least, they were promoted due to a battle and it was by the Hokage, even if the rest was a bit of a lie.

"Now then as you all know those who have passed that academy exam will be placed onto a team with a Jonin instructor. I have the finalized list created by the Hokage so listen up, these teams will not be changing so you had better get used to them. Team one will be…" Iruka continued through the list of civilian teams until reaching the clan members.

'Okay as long as I get at least one useful teammate then this won't be a total loss, here's hoping for Shino, or Kiba. Itachi mentioned that almost every team will include men and women so as long as I don't end up with Ino or, Kami forbid, Sakura I should be alright. Hinata would be preferable but either of the Uzumaki would at least be better than a fangirl.' The number one brooder pondered as he zoned out of the rest of the team placements.

"Team seven will be Sasuke Uchiha, Kiba Inuzuka, and Sakura Haruno under Kakashi Hatake."

"HA! Beat that Ino!"

Sasuke's response was throwing his forehead down onto the desk in front of him. He could almost swear he heard Itachi laughing at his misfortune.

"Team eight will be Hinata Hyuga, Natsuko Uzumaki, and Akane Uzumaki under Kurenai Yuhi."

"You've got to be kidding me, the Hokage allowed for a group of all girls to be a ninja team?" Kiba scoffed, earning glares from the various Kunoichi in the room.

"Not sure if I would want to trade places with you at this point Sakura…" Ino muttered out, already annoyed by the pink haired girls teammate.

"FINALLY," Iruka shouted, immediately silencing the various conversations. "We have Team ten with Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Shino Aburame under Asuma Sarutobi."

"How come I have to be on a team with three boys?" Ino whined out.

"Well the Hokage felt that this combination would promote teamwork and utilize the same techniques of the former 'Ino-Shiko-Cho combination. Shino has been added in due to the off numbers and no one wanting to hold any talented Shinobi back a year." The Chunin explained.

"Iruka-Sensei, where is Mizuki-Sensei?" Shikamaru asked suddenly, as he had just woken up.

"Unfortunately Mizuki was arrested for theft of village secrets and was the traitor that I alluded to earlier on. Now if that is all I wish to congratulate all of you on making it past your exams, I have big expectations of everyone here and…"

As Iruka continued on his congratulatory exam speech the various students slowly shuffled their seats around so that they would be closer to those they were assigned with.

"G-good m-morning Natsuko-San, Akane-San. I am v-very happy that b-both of you passed and t-that we will be on the same t-team."

"Awww come on Hinata-Chan no need to be so formal! This is team Kunoichi after all!" the blonde happily exclaimed, earning smiles from her two teammates.

"Not sure about the name but she is right Hinata. I am curious about our instructor though, I had never met her before the other day after our mission but she seemed to be quite informed about us."

"Oh K-Kurenai-Sensei is the b-best, she has been like an older s-sister to me for a f-few years now. She is one of the r-reasons I d-decided to become a Kunoichi." The Hyuga girl stuttered out, poking her fingers together bashfully while doing so.

As if on cue the door opened and several Jonin walked into the classroom before they began calling out the team numbers assigned to them until Team eight had been called, and informed to meet outside in the courtyard.

 _***SooP***_

Kurenai looked over what would be her first team, Hinata she already knew from helping to mentor the poor girl after her mother passed away, the other two she had merely heard rumors about.

"Well since I don't know much about two of you and you don't know much about me why don't we start off with introductions? I'll go first, my name is Kurenai Yuhi, and this will be my first Genin team. I enjoy takowasa and having drinks with my group of friends, I dislike those who judge based on a person's gender or things that they have no control over. I am considered the Genjutsu expert of Konoha and my dream is to raise a family while showing the world the strength that Kunoichi can possess."

The Jonin gestured towards Hinata next.

"M-my name is H-Hinata Hyuga, my favorite f-foods are r-red bean soup and cinnamon rolls, and I also enjoy pressing flowers and g-gardening. I h-hate the M-Main House of the H-Hyuga clan and w-what they d-do to the B-Branch House. M-my dream is to b-become a g-great Kunoichi a-and be confident e-enough to l-leave the c-clan w-with my sister."

'Interesting, I always knew that Hinata had a problem with the Main House but for her goal to be leaving the clan completely…' Kurenai pondered before her thoughts shifted to the next introduction.

"YEAH! Go Hinata! My name is Natsuko Uzumaki! I LOVE ramen but I hate how long it takes to cook, I also love onee-chan and all my friends, including Hinata-chan, oh and jiji, and Ayame and Teuchi! I dislike those who are mean to me or onee-chan also when she makes me get up really early to train. My dream is to discover the identities of my parents, and become Hokage!"

'So she isn't aware of who her parents are either, interesting that she is so excited about becoming Hokage though.'

"I am Akane Uzumaki and Natsuko's 'onee-chan'. I enjoy training and I love my sister. I dislike those who are ignorant and hate others based on this, or who would try and hurt my sister. My dream is to discover my parents as well, and become a great Kunoichi."

'A bit lacking in individuality, and her focus on Natsuko could be used against her unfortunately.'

"Very good, but I am curious about something, Natsuko why do you want to become the Hokage so badly?"

"Well…"

 _***SooP***_

Hinata let out a tired sigh as she lay down in her bed that evening.

'I hope I am able to pass Kurenai-San's test tomorrow, if I fail it will only be proving that everyone is right about my weakness.'

The young girl glanced over at the bed directly next to hers, and the form of her sleeping sister in it.

'No, I will not fail. I have to succeed for Hanabi. I also have to prove myself to Natsuko and Akane, they are so strong and confident even with the failures they have had. I wish that I could be more like them. Maybe just by being on the same team I can learn to have Natsuko's charisma or Akane's confidence?'

 _***SooP***_

"AWWW COME ON ONEE-CHAN JUST ONE CUP OF RAMEN BEFORE BED!"

"Did you finish your evening exercises?"

"Uhhhh yes?"

"Natsuko…"

"But they take sooooooooo long and they are soooooooo boring! Why do I have to learn how to stick leaves to my forehead?"

"Because it will help with your Chakra control, I'll make you a deal though if you can do the technique for thirty seconds I will make you a cup of ramen."

"DEAL!"

 _***SooP***_

"So Kurenai I heard you got the three gakis you wanted." Anko muttered out between bites of dango and gulps of sake.

"Correct, now all they have to do is pass the test I have for them and they will officially be Team eight."

"Bah they got this in the bag, if there's one thing my two priceless little gakis can do it's achieve the unexpected."

"That does remind me Anko, you never did explain how you know my two students so well."

"Oh the Uzumakis? Yeah we go way back, they ran into me one day when running from a mob, which then turned on me, who then proceeded to _explain_ to them why it was a bad idea to harass children and Kunoichi who could summon snakes. After that I had them treat me to dango for my services and we just sort of formed a sisterly relationship. I've been trying to adopt them for a couple years now but since I am always out of the village on assignment and with my… less than perfect past the asshole council members keep denying me. Since they are still technically civilians there is nothing we can do about it." Her last statement was spoken in a sad tone that surprised the red eyed Jonin.

"I know how you feel Anko, I have been trying to figure out how to adopt Hanabi and Hinata as well but… it's hard to prove you can be a parent when you are never around."

"I need to ask you a serious question Kurenai, and I want an honest answer. Why did you pick those two? I know that you care deeply for Hinata and you want to prove Kunoichi are just as good as Shinobi but you picked a hard first team. You could have just as easily picked Hinata and two guys and done the all Kunoichi thing later on once you had more experience with this teaching thing."

"I chose them because no one else would, I am tired of watching as Kunoichi are just paired up with strong men and then disregarded and ignored. Those two have been ignored for far too long in this village."

"Well you know that if you need any help with training I have some time off right now and I would be more than happy to whip some asses into shape." A gleam appeared in the young snake wielders eyes at this remark, sending a chill down her friend's spine.

"Oh don't you worry Anko I will certainly be calling upon your skills soon enough."

 _***SooP***_

"Good morning everyone." Kurenai greeted her students as they arrived at training ground eight around ten in the morning. "I hope you all ate a good breakfast, I wouldn't want you to fail just because you chose to arrive early in order to watch your weight or some such nonsense. Now then the test is quite simple really, you have until two o' clock this afternoon to find and capture me, and you may use any resources at your disposal except for outside assistance."

With that the Jonin vanished via Shunshin.

"Well this is going to be difficult since Natsuko and I already have a somewhat difficult time with Genjutsu as is. Add to that we are trying to track and capture a Jonin level Kunoichi in only four hours…" Akane mused, trying to formulate a plan to deal with the situation.

"W-what if w-we team up? T-they did p-put us o-on a t-team t-together after all r-right? I c-could use the Byakugan and t-try to see th-through her G-Genjutsu."

"Alright Hinata-Chan that's why you are the brains of this group!" Natsuko cheered happily, while her sister nodded in agreement.

"Th-thank you N-Natsuko-Chan b-but I d-don't know a-about being the b-brains…"

"Of course you are, if I remember correctly you almost got as high of scores as the Haruno did, the difference being that you are also a skilled Kunoichi while she is practically worthless and stares at the Uchiha all day long." Akane praised.

"Okay so then here's what we do, onee-chan and I will sniff out Kurenai-Sensei and then Hinata-Chan can see through any Genjutsu stuff she does, then… we tackle her!"

"U-um N-Natsuko-Chan I d-don't think you w-will be able to s-sniff her out or t-tackle her…"

"SURE WE CAN! Onee-chan and I have super awesome noses so we should be able to find her pretty easy, and tackling is the best idea ever, she will never expect it!"

"Perhaps instead of tackling her we should try and push her into a trap? From what Kurenai-Sensei said we need to capture her which most likely means that she will be running from us."

"I-if I r-remember right you h-had the b-best s-stealth scores in the a-academy Akane-Chan, m-maybe y-you should be the t-trap?"

"See that is why you are the planner Hinata."

"Fine fine… I still say we tackle her though…" the blonde pouted as she muttered to herself.

After agreeing on the plan the three friends departed, heading down the nearest trail at a brisk speed and following Natsuko's nose.

 _***SooP***_

'Impressive, they are following the trail I set for the quite well, not only that but they already avoided the two fake ones I made and the trap that I set up.' Kurenai mused as she followed behind the three students while observing them at a distance.

It had already been an hour and they were still hot on her 'trail' leading further into the woods. Suddenly the three came to a stop as the blonde leader came to a halt and looked around as if confused.

"Something wrong N-Natsuko-Chan?" The pale eyed girl asked, stepping up next to her.

"I don't know the trail seems to get a bit mixed up here," the girl muttered before calling out loudly. "Did you get tired of leaving us a nice path Kurenai-Sensei?"

'What? Did they know I was following them? Wait did they know it was a fake path the entire time? If so then why...' Suddenly her eyes widened as a net trap shot towards her, forcing her into the clearing.

As she landed the red eyed Jonin was immediately pressed onto the defensive by a surprise attack from Hinata, while dozens of Natsuko clones leaped from the nearby bushes.

'So she did learn the _Kage Bunshin_. Well I am not going to make it that easy to catch me time to see how well they do on an actual chase.' Leaping backwards the older Kunoichi made for the trees, only to halt as she saw the spider web of ninja wire completely surrounding the area.

'Impossible! How did they have time to set this up?'

Again though she was assailed by a small blonde army before realizing they were a distraction for Hinata and her Juken strikes.

After rapidly dispelling the clones with a barrage of Taijutsu strikes, and making a note to work on the blonde's techniques, the woman flipped over an overextended strike of Hinata's before throwing the poor girl back into Akane, who had stayed out of the fight thus far.

She paused in shock as the red head dispelled in a puff of smoke.

"Wha…"

"Gotcha!"

Suddenly Kurenai found herself entangled in a series of ninja wires with the missing sister's arms wrapped around her own tightly.

"Wha, but…" the Kunoichi began before giving up with a chuckle. "Congratulations you pass."

"HECK YEAH!"

"W-we did it!"

"Nice work you two." Akane praised, while she removed the bonds from their teacher.

"Impressive work all three of you, not only did you manage to catch me but you passed the true purpose of the test, which was teamwork. I have to ask though, how did you manage to get all these traps setup so fast?"

"Natsuko and I figured out you were watching us from the start, you aren't very good at hiding your scent Kurenai-Sensei. Then when we departed we whispered it to Hinata who changed the plan to using some of Natsuko's _Kage Bunshin_ to _Henge_ into me when you had lost sight of us for a second. Then I took a handful and set up this area which they lured you into."

"Amazing amount of forethought I am very impressed. Well since you are now my official Genin we will start training this afternoon at four o clock at the same training ground, then grab dinner together followed by a bit more training. I just want to warn you all now, since none of you have received the clan training that many of the others have I will be pushing you even harder in all of the other techniques. "

"O-of course Kurenai-Sensei."

"Time for some new Jutsu!"

"Hopefully you will be able to pay attention the entire time Natsuko."

"Aww come on onee-chan don't be like that." The young girl pouted, earning a smile from her sister.

 _***SooP***_

"So the gakis kicked your ass eh?"

"They did not 'kick my ass' Anko, they showed remarkable teamwork and skill though."

"Really because the way you tell the story it sounds like they kinda kicked your ass."

"Remind me again why I am allowing you to come with me to report on their progress to the Hokage…"

"Because I make your life entertaining."

"Fair enough."

The two Kunoichi knocked on the Hokage's door before being allowed in.

"Ah Kurenai and Anko how are you two today?"

"Very good Hokage-Sama I am here to report the success of Team eight."

"Ah as I expected, you were correct then that these three Kunoichi would make a good team then?"

"Exceptional, they managed to lure me into a trap and capture me well within the time frame, along with showing outstanding amounts of teamwork and strategy."

"Yeah the gakis kicked her ass all over the place."

"Anko…." The red eyed Jonin growled out, while the Hokage merely chuckled.

"Oh that does remind me Hokage-Sama, were you aware that young Natsuko has announced her intention of becoming Hokage?"

"Ah yes she always was very optimistic about that dream."

"Heck yeah she was, little blonde brat was always shouting about how she would be the best ever."

"Indeed, but do either of you know why she is so intent on earning that hat?"

Anko merely shook her head while the village leader took on a contemplative look.

"Actually I can't say that I do Kurenai, would you by chance know why?" The elder Shinobi inquired, taking a deep puff of his pipe

"She said it was because of her father."

Immediately Hiruzen began coughing wildly, his eyes having widened to epic proportions in shock.

The two Kunoichi merely sent him curious glances.

"Are you alright Hokage-Sama?" Anko asked, while Kurenai's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Ah yes of course, just took me by surprise a bit I suppose. I wasn't aware that anyone knew who their father was."

"Yeah they were always curious about that, what did she mean exactly Kurenai-Chan?"

"She said that her father was the Hokage, that you Hokage-Sama were the closest thing to a father figure they had growing up because you were like a father to the entire village. So if she became Hokage she would have all the family she could ever need. She could be a mother to all of those who might not have one, just as you were a parent to her."

The aged Hokage merely smiled a warm yet tired smile that spoke of all he had seen and done in his life, a smile of weariness yet pride.

"Is there something I should know about my team Hokage-Sama, something that might eventually put them in danger should I not be made aware of it?"

Anko just looked at the seated man curiously.

"ANBU leave us."

Immediately the room seemed to be filled with a deeper silence than before, as the Hokage sealed the room for sound and intruders.

Suddenly he was no longer the happy grandfatherly figure that the villagers loved, or the kind and intellectual "Professor". No he had taken on the guise of the Sandaime Hokage, the man hailed as the most powerful Hokage of all time and one of the three "God of Shinobi".

"What I am about to say does not leave this room, do you understand me?"

The two Kunoichi could only nod in respect, and fear.

"Good because if either of you speak a word of this and I find out, and I WILL find out, the consequences will be very… unpleasant for both of you."

"O-of course Hokage-Sama." Kurenai stuttered out, Anko could barely nod in agreement.

"Anko and Kurenai's lineage has been classified as an 'S-Rank' secret due to the repercussions it could have for them and the village itself. Their mother was none other than Kushina Uzumaki."

"Wait… THE Kushina Uzumaki!?" Kurenai asked in a hushed but shocked voice.

"Where have I heard that name before?" Anko muttered out.

"She is more commonly known for her Kunoichi alias, Kushina of the Bloody Smile." The Hokage confirmed, while the snake mistress' jaw dropped.

"Even more dangerous than that though is the identity of their father, who is none other than Minato Namikaze, The Fourth Hokage."

Silence filled the room, while the two Kunoichi tried to process the information.

"B-but that means…"

"Yes that is one of the reasons they were chosen to become the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi"

"His own daughters though, why would he put such a burden on them?" Anko whispered out.

"They were meant to be seen as heroes, but instead the villagers merely saw them as outlets for their own hatreds and grief. Unfortunately it is also one of the reasons I could not allow them to be adopted by any major clans."

"YOU KNOW I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THEM IN! I WOULD HAVE CARED FOR THEM AND PROTECTED THEM YOUBASTARD!" Anko suddenly screamed, slamming her hands down on the table and cracking it in the process.

Hiruzen never even blinked in surprise, rather he sunk back into his chair, showing his age even more than usual.

"I am aware of that Anko. Unfortunately the village is not completely under my control as many think it is. The Hokage is in charge of the Shinobi corps and large decisions yes but we are forced to rely on the Civilian and Shinobi council's to take care of smaller decisions, otherwise we would simply not be able to address everything that takes place. Add to the knowledge and skills required to completely take care of a village…"

"I am sorry Hokage-Sama but those two girls…"

"I know Anko, I know."

"Hokage-Sama I request to have higher access to the ninja files of Kushina and Minato. If I am going to train their daughters I want to know what the parents were skilled in to know what to focus on. As you are aware Akane seems to be unable to perform Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and though I will be attempting to see if this can be changed I would like to have a backup plan should it not prove fruitful. I will not neglect one of my students just because they cannot learn the art I have perfected."

"Very well Kurenai," the elderly man agreed, before approaching a wall safe and retrieving two small books from it.

"These contain their ninja careers and along with some of the techniques they were known to use except for the high level ones. I hope you can find something useful in them. If you need any other assistance for any member of your team do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you Hokage-Sama, Anko would you like to accompany me for training tonight?"

"Hell yeah! I wouldn't miss the chance to teach my girls something for anything in the world."

After the two Kunoichi left the aged Shinobi stood and faced the mountain which had four faces carved into it.

"Hopefully this helps make up for all that has happened to them Minato, for my failures to protect them."

 _***SooP***_

"Everyone say hello to my best friend Anko Mitarashi, Anko this is Hinata Hyuga, since you already know my other two students…"

"ANKO-NEE-CHAN!" the blonde squealed in delight as she tackled the snake summoner.

Akane merely smiled and walked over to the two pair, who had commenced wrestling on the ground. After a few moments the redhead managed to break them up and return to stand next to their last teammate, who was busy pressing her fingers together nervously.

"Yes anyways Anko here will be helping us train while she has time off. So I thought the best way to begin would be a general skill assessment by her, now the way I have planned this is…"

"I am gonna kick your cute little asses all over the training ground until I figure out what we need to work on… and GO!" Anko shouted, charging the three Genin with a bloodthirsty gleam in her eyes.

Immediately Akane threw her sister behind her and shot forward to engage the Jonin in hand to hand combat, followed immediately by Hinata, with Natsuko spamming _Kage Bunshin_ from afar.

 _***SooP***_

"This is so lame, why can't we just have ramen for a congratulatory dinner?" The energetic blonde grumbled as the five Kunoichi sat at a small restaurant, ignoring the glares being sent from the other customers.

"Because Natsuko you and your sister can't eat ramen for every meal."

"BLASPHEMY!"

Kurenai let out a sigh as she looked at her three exhausted and battered students. After two hours of fighting the three had nearly collapsed, while Anko was merely winded.

"You three need a balanced diet in order to promote growth and increases in your Chakra capacities. Also you two need to look into getting a new wardrobe. Your clothes are falling apart, and way too bright for infiltration missions." The sensei of the team asserted towards the two Uzumaki, which quickly caused them to fall into silence.

"What's wrong?" she asked, glancing toward her fellow Jonin in confusion.

"We can't really afford new clothes…" Natsuko muttered out, avoiding eye contact with her teacher.

"What do you mean? You should be receiving an orphan's fund from the village."

"Most shopkeepers refuse to sell to us or overcharge us so it's either eat or wear warm clothing." Akane answered.

"They can only afford ninja gear, decent food, and clothing when I am in town to go shopping with them, that's why I am always busy the first day I get back from a long mission Kurenai-Chan." Anko explained, causing a growl of anger from the remaining Jonin at the table.

'Why would the villagers treat them so poorly? The Hyuga clan even receives discounts just for being important. I can't imagine being overcharged for basic necessities though, and what is with all of the glares we have been receiving? It feels more like I am training in the Main House than at a restaurant.' Hinata pondered.

"Well then we will be going shopping tomorrow. I will not be having my students treated like this. Basic ninja supplies are going to be a necessity on future missions. That does remind me though, if you can't buy such gear where did you get all the wire from?"

"Scavenged it, you would be surprised at what is left in the forest of death and various training grounds, or even thrown out." The red haired Uzumaki explained, further angering their teacher.

'They have to go through the trash just to survive? What the hell is wrong with the villagers!? Why would the Hokage allow it to get this bad?'

"Well like I said we will be going shopping tomorrow for new clothing and equipment. For now we will finish dinner and then do some training."

 _***SooP***_

"Alright first up we will be doing some Chakra exercises to build your control, and then we can go over some basic Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Taijutsu and miscellaneous training will be started tomorrow." Kurenai explained as they made their way towards a group of trees.

"Okay then, first we will be doing the 'tree walking' exercise. You do this by focusing Chakra onto the soles of your feet and using it to stick to the surface of various structures. Use too much and it will push you off, too little and you will fall."

Hinata nodded before beginning her training, making slow but steady progress.

Natsuko, on the other hand, put one foot on the tree and was thrown backwards.

"Hehe oops? Guess I need to use a bit less huh?" the girl chuckled before trying again.

It was then that Kurenai realized that Akane was merely waiting around, and not even attempting the exercise.

"Um Akane, is something wrong?" the red eyed Jonin inquired.

"No, I just don't need to do this training." The Uzumaki girl responded, before walking straight up the tree without effort.

"W-what but how?"

"I have been doing Chakra training exercises for years now, I self taught myself after watching some ninja do it one day."

"Self taught!?" Now Kurenai's mind was reeling, the idea of a child self teaching themselves chakra control exercises was nearly unheard of, even in main clan prodigies.

"At first I found it was helpful to use in escaping mobs and stealing food for us, later when I found out I couldn't do Ninjutsu or Genjutsu I just figured it was due to poor control so I focused on it, never realizing that there was a different reason."

"P-pardon for i-interrupting Akane-Chan, but w-why were mobs ch-chasing you, a-also why can't you do Nin or G-Genjutsu?" Hinata stuttered out, blushing at the perceived insult she gave the girl at the intrusion.

"No worries Hinata, mobs have always been chasing my sister and me, as for my inabilities it has something to do with my Chakra density. The Hokage tried to explain it once but all that I could get from it was that my Chakra is so dense that it cannot be used for any sort of advanced techniques. I can still physically enhance myself with it and can do the basic Chakra exercises but that's it."

"O-oh I am s-sorry to hear t-that A-Akane-Chan."

"You might not want to apologize too early Hinata-Chan after all onee-chan can already walk on water! She is awesome!"

Kurenai's jaw dropped, tree walking was one thing, but if this girl had self taught herself water walking then she would already have high levels of Chakra control, funny how the academy never mentioned that in her file.

"Well this is a bit of a problem then. Since you already have high levels of Chakra control and can't learn Ninjutsu or Genjutsu at all we will be forced to focus on different skills Akane. Don't worry though I fully intend to train you just as much as Hinata and Natsuko. I just need some time to figure out how first."

"No worries Kurenai-Sensei. Just focus on those two for now."

It was then that Anko, who had been surprisingly quiet the entire time, perked up with an idea.

"Hey Kurenai-Chan, do you think that Gai is busy tomorrow morning?" the purple haired Jonin asked with a deadly smirk, sending chills through the Genin.

***A/N***

I will be skipping most of the 'bulk' training sessions, because I always found it somewhat dull to read three chapters on how someone was learning techniques. Instead I want to focus on the interactions with the characters during these sessions.

The explanation, as promised, for Akane's inabilities has been explained. The expanded reason being the combination of Jinchuriki, and Uzumaki simply just made her Chakra too messed up to be used. There is more to this but it will be touched on later.

As many might notice Natsuko is following the normal 'Naruto' path from the Manga/anime in terms of abilities and characteristics while Akane is much more of an 'alternate Naruto'. The reason for this is that this was originally planned as two separate stories, one featuring a darker Akane and the other a Natsuko who had been raised by Jiraiya and Tsunade. They slowly fused into this during a thought experiment I had on who would win in a fight between the two characters.

 **I have not decided on what pairings, if any, will be in this story. So for the next few chapters I encourage everyone to PM or review with their suggestions. I have a few in mind but nothing concrete and I would be just as happy without pairings at all if readers feel that would be better.**

As always I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I am still having a ton of fun writing it.


	3. Youthful Training

**Sum of our Parts**

Youthful Training

Thanks everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite, or followed my story.

***I will probably never own Naruto or make any $ off of it. ***

 _***SooP***_

"GREETINGS KURENAI-SAN AND ANKO-SAN WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU ON THIS YOUTHFUL DAY!?" Gai happily shouted in greeting to the two Kunoichi.

"Well for one you could dial it down about oh say 15 notches on the crazy scale." Anko muttered, although she was happy with helping Kurenai with her students, she was not happy about the fact that her friend had chosen five in the morning to look for said help.

"Greetings Gai-San, I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor." The red eyed Jonin replied, ignoring the snake mistress' remark.

"OF COURSE LADY KURENAI-SAN WHATEVER DO YOU NEED HELP WITH?"

"Just Kurenai will be fine Gai-San. I wanted to see if you might have time to help my new Genin team in Taijutsu. As you know it is one of the areas that I lack talent in but I do not want to deny my students training in such an important skill. If you wish I can help your Genin in Genjutsu should you be okay with it."

The eccentric Shinobi took on a thinking pose for a moment, as if going over the pros and cons for both such arrangements before a large grin appeared on his face.

"THAT WOULD BE MOST YOUTHFUL KURENAI, AND OF COURSE YOU MUST CALL ME GAI IN RETURN! MEET ME AND MY TEAM AT TRAINING GROUND TEN IN TWO HOURS AND WE SHALL BEING 'the process'."

Strangely enough the sky seemed to darken with cloud, along with the Jonin's face, when he whispered the last few words, sending a shiver down the two Kunoichi's spines.

"U-uh yeah of course Gai, we will be there. Thank you again for your time."

As the two women walked away Anko swore she heard the man chuckling maniacally behind them.

 _***SooP***_

After the three Genin had been awoken by the two Kunoichi they made their way toward the destined training ground, after forcing Natsuko to eat a balanced breakfast for once.

"BUT RAMEN IS THE GREATEST BALANCE THERE IS! WHAT ELSE DOES ONE NEED IN LIFE!?" the poor girl cried out, fake anime tears running down her face.

"My initial thought is sake, lots and lots of sake." Anko again muttered, not used to this 'training in the morning shit' as she had explained when waking the two sisters up.

"Now Anko, we have been fortunate enough to acquire the help of the best Taijutsu expert in the nation, we need to be gracious that he has agreed to help the girls out."

"Yeah, yeah I know, that doesn't mean I have to like the fact that you woke my ass up at four in the morning to find the guy though."

As the five Kunoichi arrived at the training ground they immediately spotted the team they would be working with.

Hinata gazed in horror at the green spandex wearing man and his miniature clone, while the two Uzumaki sisters had already met the larger man before.

With them was another Kunoichi, but it seemed like the third member of their team was missing.

"Greetings Gai, I would like you to meet my team of Hinata Hyuga along with Natsuko and Akane Uzumaki."

"YOSH WHAT A YOUTHFUL TEAM YOU HAVE KURENAI-SAMA!" The mini-Gai proclaimed happily.

Meanwhile the only female on the opposing team seemed to have an expression saying 'please help me'.

"I am happy you could join us Kurenai, this is my team of Lee and Tenten. Unfortunately my other student did not wish to join us this morning, he has been growing more and more distant lately and I begin to worry for him…" The surprisingly calm man greeted.

"Who is your other student Gai, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Neji Hyuga."

Suddenly Hinata froze in place, her face taking on a darker expression at the name.

"Uh maybe that is for the best, at least for right now Gai, our Hyuga doesn't seem to want to place with your Hyuga." Anko quietly remarked, causing the man to let out a large sigh.

"I figured as much, I was hoping that they could work with each other on their _Gentle Fist_ style but Neji was quite adamant about not being paired with the girl when I mentioned your team."

"That's a shame. Maybe after he sees the progress your other two students make in our group training he will change his mind. Where would you like to begin Gai?"

"FIRST WE SHALL TEST THE YOUTH OF YOUR STUDENTS WITH A ROUND OF SPARRING! I SHALL TAKE THE FIRST MATCH TO JUDGE THEIR OVERALL PROGRESS AND THEN WE CAN DETERMINE WHERE OUR EFFORTS CAN BE THE MOST YOUTHFUL!"

"Uh right, so who would like to go first?" Kurenai asked, turning to her three students.

"Ooo oooo pick me, pick me!" the blonde happily exclaimed jumping up and down in place.

"A MOST YOUTHFUL REQUEST! VERY WELL NATSUKO-CHAN LET US SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO!" Gai replied, as the others moved a safe distance away and the two combatants took up their stances.

"Hajime!" Kurenai called out, causing the small girl to charge forward, and start with a flurry of sloppy punches.

Needless to say Gai deflected them quite easily, drawing the fight out to see how the girl would react to various maneuvers and counters.

Around five minutes later Gai tossed her through the air, in a complicated grapple move, causing her to rub her head from the impact.

"Wow Gai-Sensei you are really good!" she happily complimented, before glancing over towards her two teammates. "I think you are up next Hinata-Chan!" the blonde happily proclaimed before skipping back to her group, while Kurenai walked to the man in order to receive his diagnosis.

"Her form is very sloppy, it almost looks like it was intentionally taught to her incorrectly during the academy, lots of holes and stances completely left out." Gai analyzed, earning a growl of frustration from the girl's teacher.

"Don't worry though it can be fixed, but I would recommend not teaching her that form, it isn't really designed for real combat and with all the problems she already has it will be far easier to just teach her a new one rather than fixing an obsolete version. The other good news is her stamina is quite impressive, meaning once she actually finds a style that compliments her she will be able to train all day in it." The Taijutsu expert explained, earning a nod of approval from her Sensei.

Just then they noticed the female Hyuga making her way to the makeshift ring setup.

"Very well then, are you ready Hinata?" after seeing the girl nod Kurenai started the match before leaping a safe distance away.

Again the master moved around the ring for several minutes to see as much of the girl's fighting style as possible before retaliating. A few times Hinata had managed to come close to hitting the man, only for his instincts to take over and either block or dodge the blow at the last moment.

Afterwards Hinata returned to the group, panting from effort.

"She is considerably more skilled, although she lacks proper instruction on the _Gentle Fist_ that Neji has had, no doubt due to her status in the Branch Clan, such a shame too, wasting potential just because of the order one was born in. I can instruct her in a few of the basic forms but to progress much further she will need an actual instructor in the style."

Again Kurenai nodded before noticing Akane walking up.

"Okay Akane are you ready? Hajime!" The Jonin called out, before again moving back from the ring.

Akane immediately shot forward with an impressive burst of speed and pushed the Jonin onto the defensive. Even when he would try and counter attack it felt as if the girl was expecting the attack and would dodge out of the way.

Over ten minutes had passed since the start of the match and Akane was showing no signs of slowing down, meanwhile Gai was slowly using more and more effort just to avoid any serious injuries, he had already obtained a few minor bruises due to underestimating the girl at various points and inflicted a large amount of his own onto her.

Finally he decided to end the match as he had with her sister, and performed a grappling move to throw the redhead out of the ring, only for her to grab onto his arm in a reversal, and kick towards the side of his head, shocking the man.

As he pushed her back to the ground she skidded on the grass, quickly recovering, all the while maintaining eye contact on her opponent.

"Alright I think that is enough for now, we have inflicted enough bruises on each other for one day I believe." Gai explained dropping his stance into a relaxed state, which was followed by the girl after her Sensei, had moved back into the ring.

"So?"

"Kurenai, where did she learn to fight like that?"

"I have no idea, she was always graded poorly in Taijutsu during the academy, maybe due to the stipulations they had set on spars? Hey Anko!" the red eyed Jonin called out to her friend, who quickly jogged toward the two having a private conversation.

"Yeah whatsup? The gaki did pretty good huh?" She teased with a smirk before a serious look replaced it as she saw the expression of her two fellow Jonin.

"Anko did you teach her to fight like that?" Gai inquired, earning a shake of the Kunoichi's head.

"Why what's wrong with it?"

"It isn't an actual style, she wasn't using any form or technique I am familiar with. Instead it is almost like she is changing her style to fit her opponent. I noticed that she was beginning to counter the _Strong Fist_ the more our match went on."

"So what do you suggest Gai?"

"I don't really know right now, the next step is to see what each of them wants to learn."

 _***SooP***_

"Well now that I have a good grasp on where all of you are at in you Taijutsu I can make some recommendations. Natsuko you will not be studying any more of the academy style, because quite frankly you are terrible at it. So instead we will be finding something that fits you better. Hinata I can teach you a bit of the _Gentle Fist_ but without a dedicated Hyuga teacher I am afraid you will begin to lag behind those with more dedicated training. Finally Akane…. well I have no idea what to do with you." Gai explained, earning a face palm from the other two Jonin.

'Subtle…' the two women thought in unison.

"I don't take well to Taijutsu styles, I have tried learning a few different ones and I never seem to make very good progress." The girl explained, earning a nod from the man.

"I see… well then there is only one more option, and that is… 'the process'."

Again the sky seemed to darken, and Anko swore she heard lightning off in the distance.

"Uh Gai what exactly…" Kurenai began before the spandex wearing man pulled out several Chakra weights from behind his back.

'Where the hell was he keeping those?' This time everyone's thoughts were in unison.

"Here put these on!"

The redhead Uzumaki complied, strapping a pair to each wrist and then to her ankles, before almost falling down to the ground.

"Gai how much did you put on her!?" the girls Sensei replied, immediately worried for her student.

"Enough…."

"Uh Gai that really isn't…"

"LEE TO ME!" The man shouted, stopping the mini-Gai's pushup contest with… himself...

"OF COURSE GAI SENSEI!"

"LEE, AKANE SHALL BE YOUR NEW TRAINING PARTNER!"

"YOSH GAI SENSEI! IF I CANNOT KEEP UP WITH HER I SHALL RUN ONE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS AND IF I FAIL THAT I SHALL CLIMB THE TALLEST TREE WITH ONLY MY TEETH!"

"WONDERFUL LEE AND IF I CANNOT HELP YOU IN THIS QUEST THEN WE SHALL RUN ONE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA IN A THREE LEGGED RACE!"

"S-So you are a T-Taijutsu specialist then L-Lee?" Hinata stuttered out.

"YOSH I AM, I HAVE BEGUN TRAINING TO BE JUST AS GREAT AT TAIJUTSU AS MY SENSEI, GAI-SENSEI! Unfortunately I am unable to use Nin or Genjutsu due to my Chakra system not being fully developed." The boy replied, slightly in a depressed tone at the second half.

To this Kurenai just chuckled, earning an annoyed glare from Gai, forcing her to put her hands up to placate the man.

"I mean no disrespect Gai, but I think this meeting might have been fate. For you see Akane is also unable to use Nin or Genjutsu at all."

"TRULY!? THEN WE MUST HAVE A MATCH AKANE-SAN!"

The girl just raised her eyebrows in curiosity, before shrugging and taking on a combat stance, eliciting a 'YOSH' from the eager boy.

 _***SooP***_

Later that day Anko had sought out one of her and Kurenai's mutual friends while the Jonin-Sensei and her team were doing D-rank missions.

"Hey there Yugao, watcha up to?"

"Not much Anko, what about you?"

"Oh same old crap different day, although I have been helping Kurenai train her gakis lately, so that has been a nice changeup."

"So Kurenai finally got her team eh? Well good for her, why are you helping train them though?"

"You know how Kurenai is really only good with a few things, so she has been asking for help from the other Jonin for her students. After all we can't have the first Kunoichi team look weak eh?"

"Wait she is with a team of all Kunoichi? I am surprised that Hokage-Sama allowed for it."

"Well she was very insistent. Also she made some good points. Have you seen this year's crop of girls? They are practically all fan girls pining after that douche Uchiha."

"And people wonder why Kunoichi are seen as weak? So who did she manage to get then?"

"Hinata Hyuga along with the Uzumaki girls."

"Wow I heard they always scored the lowest in the academy, that's gotta be tough."

"Yeah, that is another reason why Kurenai asked me to see if you had any free time today."

"Why me?"

"She wanted to know if you could take a look at one of them, and see if she has any Kenjutsu potential."

"Do you think the girl does?"

"No idea Yugao, but I think it's worth the time to check."

"Alright fine, but you two owe me one for this."

"Aww thanks Yugao-Chan you're the best!" Anko happily giggled while pulling the girl into a hug.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright Kurenai where is this potential prodigy you are so excited about?" the purple haired woman asked as she approached the Jonin and her team during training.

"Thank you for coming Yugao, Akane would you come over here for a minute please?" The red eyed Kunoichi called out, breaking the three from a teamwork exercise.

"Yes Kurenai-Sensei?"

"Akane this is Yugao Uzuki, she is one of if not the best Kenjutsu expert in Konoha and I have asked her to come and evaluate you."

"With all due respect Kurenai-Sensei and Yugao-Sama, I have not been trained in any type of swordsmanship so I doubt if I possess any skills worth observing."

"Well at least she's polite, don't worry about impressing me too much Akane, I am just here to do some basic tests and see if you might have any latent skill in it. If not then no harm no foul."

"And if she does?"

"Then I will train her when I have the time to do so. Don't expect me to just hang around all the time though Kurenai, I do have missions and a life outside of this you know."

"Of course, all I am asking for is a few lessons when you have the time to."

The purple haired woman nodded before unwrapping two wooden swords she had brought with her.

"Alright Akane, these will be our testing swords I'll give you a longer training session tonight to see how well you can grasp the concepts, if you enjoy the art and can pick it up I will leave some training scrolls for you to study until next time. We will start with a basic duel, nothing fancy just so that you can see some basics and determine if you are interested or not."

"Very well Yugao-Sama."

The two Kunoichi stood opposite each other.

The girl's Sensei stood by nervously before initiating the duel "Hajime!"

 _***SooP***_

"So Kurenai-San how has your team been doing?" Genma asked, as the Jonin gathered in one of the more popular Shinobi restaurants, 'Monomi'

"They are progressing nicely. Hinata and Natsuko's Chakra control has improved steadily, as has their Taijutsu. Hinata is beginning to learn Genjutsu and has shown interest in Medical Ninjutsu, while Natsuko is soaking up whatever Ninjutsu I show her like a sponge."

"What about your third student, the redhead?"

"We still haven't been able to teach her an official Taijutsu form and she can't perform any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu like she told me. Even with these deficiencies though, her weapon skills have improved while working with Tenten, her raw strength and speed are increasing at absurd rates, and Yugao is taking turns teaching her Kenjutsu with Hayate."

"Seriously? Damn how did you manage that one?"

"It was easy. After the first time Yugao saw the gaki's unique skill she practically dragged the poor girl to meet Hayate. Then once he saw them spar they were pleading with Kurenai-Chan to let them teach the girl." Anko explained with a devious smirk on her face.

"What do you mean 'unique skill'?" The male Jonin questioned, before being interrupted as Asuma strolled up to the table.

"Hey Kurenai, haven't seen you around very much. How is everything?"

"Oh it is going quite well Asuma-San how are you?"

"Oh doing okay, hey uh any chance you have some free time this evening? There is a new restaurant opening up and I heard it is pretty good."

"Oh I would Asuma-San but I have team training tonight sorry."

Just then a green blur interrupted as Gai appeared next to the table.

"GREETINGS MY YOUTHFUL COMPANIONS, HOW ARE ALL OF YOU ON THIS WONDERFULLY SUNNY DAY!?"

"Well now I have a headache but otherwise doing great Gai…" Anko growled at the oblivious man.

"A PITTY, PERHAPS A FEW LAPS AROUND KONOHA WILL HELP RID YOU OF THAT UNYOUTHFUL HEADACHE!"

"Or maybe enough sake to drown a horse…" The snake mistress muttered before showing another dango into her mouth.

"THAT REMINDS ME KURENAI ARE WE STILL ON FOR OUR TEAM TRAINING TONIGHT?"

"Of course Gai we will be there promptly at six."

"VERY GOOD, UNTIL THEN I WISH YOU ALL A YOUTHFUL DAY!" He shouted, before leaping out of the nearby window.

"Seriously there is a door right next to him…" Genma face palmed before returning to his meal.

"What does he mean team training Kurenai?" The Sarutobi heir inquired.

"Oh Gai is helping teach my students Taijutsu while I teach his Genjutsu and Chakra control occasionally even Anko tags along and teaches some stealth or weapon skills. Also we have been working on some larger team exercises, even though Neji never shows up it has been good experience for them all to work as a larger team."

"O-oh well you know uh I am pretty good at Ninjutsu, if you and Gai wouldn't mind I could always stop by with my team and do some tutoring…"

"That would be very helpful thank you Asuma-San."

"What about you Kakashi, interested in bringing your team into the group and making this a weekly thing?" Anko called out to the, just arriving, Jonin.

"I would but my team requires a very special approach and individual training that cannot be met in a group environment I'm afraid, also I have plans tonight." The masked Shinobi responded, before pulling out his patented orange book.

"Actually I am sort of glad Kakashi-San isn't around to influence the girls…" Kurenai replied with a sigh.

 _***SooP***_

"Asuma-San where is your team?" Kurenai asked, as the lone Jonin approached their training area.

"Well Shino's father wanted to do some individual training with him tonight, Ino went off to shop for some new clothes, Choji had a clan dinner to attend, and Shikamaru just said it would be 'too troublesome' to come by himself. I see we are also missing Neji?"

"Indeed, Neji has declined all offers to take part in the team training sessions." Gai answered, looking down towards the ground at the embarrassment of his student.

"That's kinda pathetic Asuma." Anko laughed out, seeing the depressed sigh from the man.

"It's also dangerous Asuma-San. If your students don't take this training seriously they could be seriously hurt in future missions."

"I know the Hokage has been on my ass lately to be more forceful with them as well."

"Right, well since I am going to be teaching Ninjutsu we will start with a very simple test." The man issued the Genin towards him, before handing out pieces of paper to each. "Simply channel some Chakra into the paper and it will reveal your Chakra affinity like this."

The Jonin then channeled a bit of his Chakra, causing the paper to split in half.

"Wind will split the paper in two, lightning wrinkles, earth crumbles, water dampens, and fire ignites. The affinity you have will show what elemental Ninjutsu you can learn the easiest, but it doesn't mean you can't learn those of a different nature, it is just a bit harder to do."

The Genin nodded before focusing their Chakra, Tenten's paper ignited while Lee's smoldered a bit due to his deficiency.

Surprisingly Hinata's paper dampened then wrinkled showing a different affinity than the rest of the fire oriented Hyuga clan.

"Very good Hinata, duel affinities are fairly rare." Kurenai praised, earning a smile form her student.

Natsuko's was the real surprise though, when her paper split in half, dampened, and crumbled into dust at the same time.

"Natsuko that's… incredible, having thee affinities at the same time is almost unheard of! Do you know anything about your family? Maybe that would explain…" Asuma's question halted when he saw the downcast look on the young girl's face.

"Damnit Asuma…" Kurenai muttered before kneeling down in front of the two Uzumaki girls to help comfort them at being reminded of their origins.

Anko was not nearly as nice though and slapped the Jonin on the back of his head.

"Hey!"

"Think before you speak next time you idiot!" The woman hissed out.

"So it is true then that the two girls have no knowledge of their parentage?" Gai whispered out, glaring slightly at the other man.

"Yeah they have been orphans since birth unfortunately." Anko answered before Kurenai returned to the group, the two sisters looking a bit relieved.

"Sorry about that, Akane what about your affinity? This will help you learn what kind of Ninjutsu I can…"

"I can't use Ninjutsu."

"Uh…"

"Damnit dobe what did I JUST get done saying!" Anko lamented, wondering how the man was ever related to their Hokage.

"Hey I got caught up in the moment, but still it's not like doing the test can cause any harm, if anything it might show her what kind of Taijutsu she would excel at."

Looking towards her Sensei and receiving a nod of approval the redhead shrugged before channeling her Chakra.

This caused the paper in her hand to immediately explode.

"Akane, are you alright?" the teenager's Sensei exclaimed immediately moving to examine her hand to ensure she was not injured.

"No harm eh?"

"I-I-I don't understand, how the hell did it just explode!? That's not even possible… right?" the Sarutobi stuttered out, trying to defend his decision.

"It's alright Asuma-Sama. My chakra appears to be too dense for the paper."

"Sorry about that Akane, I hope I didn't hurt you." After receiving a shake of her head to show she was still alright the Jonin proceeded with the lesson.

"Alright well I brought a ton of Ninjutsu scrolls for all of you to begin training in. Lee you and Akane… uh…"

"You didn't plan anything for them did you Asuma-San?" Gai shook his head in exasperation, knowing that the training would result in this when he heard about the Sarutobi's suggestion.

"Hehe… uh…. Well…."

"That's quite alright Asuma-Sama. While you work with them Lee-San and I will just spar for a bit, right Lee-San?"

"YOSH! A YOUTHFUL IDEA AKANE! WE SHALL BRING OUR YOUTH TO EVEN HEIGHTS RESERVED ONLY FOR THE TRULY MAGNIFICENT!" Lee immediately shouted, receiving his second wind after the discouraging thought of watching the others learn what he could not.

"I do have one question though Asuma-Sama, you mentioned that everyone has elemental affinities? Does that mean when a person uses an elemental Jutsu that their Chakra actually changes to that type or does it stay as their base affinity?" Akane asked, earning a questioning pose from the man.

"Well it changes to the new type. That is one reason that it is easier to learn a Jutsu of your affinity, a Shinobi can naturally change their Chakra to their type far easier than another."

"Interesting…" The Uzumaki muttered before heading towards a nearby tree with Lee.

"What kind of sparring are they going to do exactly?" Asuma asked.

"AH IT WAS A MOST YOUTHFUL SUGGESTION BY KURENAI, THEY HAVE BEGUN SPARRING WHILE PERFORMING THE TREE CLIMBING EXERCISE TO FURTHER THEIR STAMINA AND CONTROL AS WELL AS LEARN TO FIGHT FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES AND SURFACES."

"Very interesting, alright let's get the rest of you setup shall we?"

 _***SooP***_

"Report in team."

"Sunshine here, I am in position."

"H-Hime, here I am a-also in p-position. W-why was I g-given this c-codename again?"

"Because Natsuko chose them, onee here and I am also in position."

"Sensei, here and I am in position, but next time Natsuko we need less informative code names."

"Target acquired, and I like our nicknames."

"Copy, move on target in three, two, one…"

First Natsuko jumped from a clump of bushes, forcing the hellion cat to dart away, and then Akane leaped from a nearby tree, again forcing the tiny monstrosity to change paths, before finally Hinata emerged… and Tora jumped into her arms…

"Did that just happen…?" Kurenai deadpanned as she watched her student gently petting the now purring cat.

"Looks like Hinata-Chan is good with kitties."

"As long as I don't have to hold the little devil I don't care how we got it." Akane remarked before heading towards the mission center.

 _***SooP***_

"Incredible! You three destroyed the last record of six hours." Iruka praised as he saw the team bring in the 'bane of all Genin'.

"Very good Team eight, I believe that makes the twenty fifth D-rank mission you have successfully completed now." The Hokage praised, he had been in updating the mission archives at the time and had heard the commotion.

"Awesome! Does that mean we can do a C-rank now?" The blonde Genin happily cheered, with stars in her eyes at the thought of performing some epic deed like saving a princess.

"It would be nice to do something more exciting than chores."

"I-I agree, we have been doing quite well l-lately." Hinata added in, her stutter noticeably decreased.

The two men glanced towards her Sensei who nodded in agreement with her team.

"Very well Team eight, I do believe we have a small selection of missions that are available to pick from. Let's see here, we have guarding a bridge builder in his return to the Land of Waves, investigating a business in the Land of Waves, or retrieval of stolen goods in a small village about thirty miles away." The Chunin listed.

"We will take the retrieval mission, I would rather avoid going so far from the village on our first C-rank."

"Very well, report to the village of 'Ohira' as soon as possible, we were hired by the town council so I you will be meeting with them."

Kurenai nodded before departing with her students.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright team, prepare for at least two weeks on the mission. We will meet at the main gate at ten o clock tomorrow morning. Don't forget to bring any weapons you might deem necessary. I am not expecting us to need them but remember Anko's saying? 'I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.'"

The three Genin nodded before departing for their respective homes, each excited to get underway.

***A/N***

I hope no one was terribly bored in this chapter, I promise this is the last training focused one for a long time, but I wanted to hint at what the various Genin would be learning, as well as show the difference between a Jonin who actually trained their students and someone like Kakashi.

 **Again no pairings have been decided on yet, if there are any even included in this story. So if you have any suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments or PM me.**

 **Monomi** roughly translates into "one who sees" and is one of the terms that were given to Ninja in Japan.

As always I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.


	4. First Blood

**Sum of our Parts**

First Blood

Thank you to all who have taken the time to read, review, favorite, or followed this story.

***I still make no money off of Naruto, nor do I own any part of it. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

After a warm group breakfast, that was completely unplanned but completely welcomed, Team eight departed from the main gate towards the village of Ohira.

To Kurenai's surprise, and relief, Natsuko had been forced to abandon all orange in her outfit. Akane later admitted that she had made a deal to bring along enough ramen for the entire trip as a trade. The young blonde now wore a black top with white stripes down the front and sleeves that cut off at the elbows, black fingerless combat gloves, and a pair of shorts with a black and silver belt.

Akane on the other hand wore almost all black, complete with what appeared to be black leather armor and arm guards. She wore a brown leather pack strapped to her back. Strangely enough she wore a black hood and facemask, almost as if she was trying to mimic Kakashi. A katana was strapped to her side along with Kunai attached to various points of her outfit.

Hinata had only changed out her jacket for a darker grey one, without the fur lining.

The four Kunoichi were moving at a decent pace, but certainly not pushing their speed, just in case they should stumble upon a threat in the woods.

"Kurenai-Sensei w-what do we expect f-from this mission? D-do you think there will b-be any enemy n-ninja?"

"I highly doubt it Hinata, C-rank missions have no threat of enemy ninja that is why the only ones who undertake them are high level Genin or low level Chunin."

"So does that make us super awesome Genin then?"

"It makes you high level Genin Natsuko, you three have been doing exceedingly well in not only your personal training but also in teamwork. All of the Jonin who have taken time to work with you have nothing but positive things to say about the first Kunoichi team."

"Oooo we should totally think of a new name for our team then, maybe 'Team awesome' or 'Team butt-kickers' maybe even 'Team better-than-you-and-we-know-it'."

Kurenai chuckled at the young blonde's antics. Sure they would never actually use any of her suggestions but they were amusing and helped to keep the mood from becoming too serious.

"How about 'Team Kurenai'?"

That comment almost caused the Sensei to fall from the tree branch she had just landed on. Sure she knew that her Genin trusted her, but for the normally stoic and protective redhead to suggest using her meant a great deal.

"Actually Akane, as flattered as I am I was thinking that 'Team Kunoichi' would be a better title. After all this team is about you three more than it is about me. My goal is to teach you and be taught by you."

"I t-think it is quite f-fitting Kurenai-Sensei. I agree w-with 'Team Kunoichi'."

"I guess…. WAIT! What about 'Team Ramen'?"

 _***SooP***_

After stopping for lunch and continuing on Kurenai called her team to a halt around dusk.

"That's far enough for today. we will easily reach the village by noon tomorrow if we use the same pace. This serves as a good lesson though, when moving through unknown territory it is often ill advised to move at night. Traps are much harder to spot. Animals that might hibernate during the day are out. Finally enemies are far more concealed. Despite the fact that we too have an increased stealth, it is often seen as a gesture of bad faith to arrive at night in an allied village, especially if the situation is not an emergency."

"Plus it's gonna rain soon and its sooo much harder to get a fire going for Ramen in the rain."

"N-Natsuko-Chan, how do you know it is going t-to rain?"

"We can smell the change in the air." Akane replied, as she glanced over to their Sensei, who gave a nod to look for a place to setup camp.

A half hour later the two Uzumaki and their Sensei were cooking up their dinner as the rain began slowly drizzling down.

"Could one of you go find Hinata and make sure she doesn't wander too far from camp?"

Akane just nodded at her Kurenai's request and left to find the pale eyed girl

"I never liked the rain," Natsuko began suddenly, her voice a bit sad while she stared into the clearing ahead of them. "It always felt like the sky was crying. It makes me feel sad."

"That's pretty normal Natsuko. A lot of people feel sad or tired when the weather is dreary or it rains." The Jonin answered, as she double checked the three tents that were setup. One for her, one for Hinata, and the Uzumaki sisters were forced to share one due to their economic situation.

"Yeah I know… I guess as long as it isn't storming."

"Not a fan of the thunder and lightning?" Kurenai teased lightly, but when she glanced over the young girl had a faraway look on her face, as if remembering something from the past.

 _***SooP***_

'One two three four, one two three four.' Hinata inwardly chanted, going through the various motions of the Juken Kata.

Even after several weeks of training the Hyuga girl was having the same problem as always. The _Gentle Fist_ style felt wrong to her. Again she messed up one of the stances and quietly swore, punching a nearby tree in frustration at her continuing failures.

After another moment or two Hinata resumed her beginning stance before closing her eyes, allowing herself to simply feel the rain fall from the sky and coat her skin, relaxing her in ways that she could find no where else save for with her team.

As she prepared to begin the Kata again a pair of arms gently went over her own from behind, the thin yet powerful fingers interlacing with her own as a voice spoke quietly next to her ear in a calm soothing manner.

"This form doesn't seem to suit you Hinata. It is too tense and uptight, too ridged. You need something that flows more like you do, something that allows you to take advantage of your natural gifts." The redhead whispered out, as she began to move the young girl like a puppet, in a flowing motion, each movement connecting with the next like a never ending dance.

"You once said that you hated your clan, so why do you insist on using the style they refuse to teach you? Why not create your own and show them what they have lost by denying you the basic rights of being human?"

Hinata tried to fight down the blush that threatened to consume her as one of her closest friends, and secretly one of the two people she admired most in the world, pressed against her back in an almost sensual way.

After a few more moments of going through what appeared to be a combination of dance and Katas created out of thin air Akane released her hold on the young pale eyed girl, much to her 'captives' disappointment.

"Kurenai-Sensei wanted me to ensure you did not wander off and get into trouble, though I would be far more concerned if it were Natsuko. I know you can take care of yourself and act responsibly."

"T-Thank you Akane-Chan. I suppose I am getting rather cold and hungry though. Perhaps w-we should head back to camp?"

"As you wish Hinata."

"Akane-Chan, thank you for your assistance and the confidence you have placed in me."

"The confidence is well placed Hinata, we all know you have the power to succeed, the only one who still needs convinced is you."

 _***SooP***_

As the two girls returned back to camp the remaining blonde Genin instantly perked up in excitement.

"Your back!"

"We were only gone for a little bit Natsuko. Though I am surprised there is still any Ramen left."

"Of course, I knew you two would be wet and hungry so I saved some of my precious 'food of the Gods' for you."

"T-thank you Natsuko-Chan I could use a warm meal."

"Actually this presents an interesting opportunity for some Chakra Control lessons. Since the two of you are soaked and freezing I want you to figure out how to use your Chakra to warm yourselves and dry out the clothes you are wearing without taking them off. This has come in handy more times than many would like to admit especially in blizzard conditions, where taking off clothes to dry them can mean death."

The three Genin nodded before focusing on the task at hand, Natsuko drying off rather easily, even if some of the water steamed a bit.

Hinata took a bit longer but soon got the hang of it.

Natsuko almost set some of her clothing on fire, while the other's remained soaking wet.

 _***SooP***_

The team had arrived at the small village the next morning before noon and proceeded directly to what appeared to be the town hall.

They had been informed to wait for the village heads to gather and were shown into a comfortable waiting room.

Around a half hour later the Kunoichi were summoned to the main room where they were immediately thanked for their quick arrival before the explanation began.

"So tell us what exactly you require us to do." Kurenai stated, taking on a calm and professional demeanor towards the village elders.

"Our town has been raided several times now by a group of thieves. So far they have stolen any items of significant value but now that the obvious objects are gone they have begun taking food and resources that we cannot live without. We need you to stop these bandits and retrieve anything that you can from them." An elderly man replied.

"When was the last raid, and how often have they taken place?"

"They have been increasing in frequency as time has gone on. Originally it was once a month but now it is nearly every week if the pattern continues we estimate they will return in at most two days. We have just managed to scrape enough money together from the village to pay for this mission but it is the last of any real money we have. If this does not succeed we will have run out of options."

"Do you know anything about the culprits, such as their numbers, location, or possible skills?"

"Not much unfortunately," A surprisingly young man replied, he looked to be one of the few merchants in the room by his posture and appearance. "The attacks take place at night and we do know that they have at least some weaponry and training, the first time that any sort of resistance was staged the men responsible lost their lives. As for their locations, they seemed to always come from the North West. The forest is quite thick there so it would be quite easy to hide oneself."

The Ninja noticed that there was something being left out, something unspoken amongst the villagers.

"Is there anything else you wish to inform us of?"

"The raid that was launched several days ago… took several young girls from the village. We did not want to inform you due to the younger girls in your group. That and it would have been around the time our request was received."

"You didn't want us to feel responsible." Akane correctly summarized, speaking for the first time since entering the room.

"Indeed, please save them though, even if nothing else is salvageable."

"We will do everything we can." Kurenai confirmed, before turning to her Genin. This mission had already become far more complicated as it involved hostages and the potential killing of enemies.

"We will split up and each search a direction, I will be taking the North West since it is the most probable location but we should never assume that the enemy will always be in one convenient spot. If you find anything do not engage them, spike your chakra and then return to the village where we will plan out our next move."

The three Genin nodded before the team left for their tasks.

 _***SooP***_

It took only two hours before the four returned to their designated meeting spot.

"So what have you three discovered?"

"My clones didn't find a thing." The blonde pouted, hoping to be the one who would make some sort of grand discovery.

"N-nothing here, I am sorry Kurenai-Sensei." Hinata answered with a slight bow of embarrassment at having failed to locate anything with her Byakugan.

"It is no problem Hinata, I am more relived that you all returned okay. What about you Akane?"

"I found nothing what about you Sensei?"

"Luckily I ran across their tracks leading deeper into the forest. It appears they have setup quite the camp in the midst of a large grouping of rocks. It seems quite defensible from large scale attacks, luckily they do not appear to be expecting a Ninja attack."

"So they are just normal bandits then?" Akane surmised.

"Unfortunately no, there appears to be at least one or two Chunin level ninja in the camp, undoubtedly the leaders. From what I can gather, from the guards talking far too loudly, they have been raiding all nearby settlements and acquiring any local bandits or criminals for their group. What this village experienced was only a small portion of the full force of the enemy's forces. I estimate they have at least fifty in their makeshift army."

"F-fifty! Kurenai-Sensei what are we going to do? I know you are capable but are we ready to take on that m-many?"

"Don't worry Hinata I Won't let anything happen to any of you, besides we are certainly not going to just charge in blindly. We are going to use this as an exercise in tactics and strategy. Since the enemy will often have a superior number, especially when dealing with bandits or soldiers, Ninja are often forced to use superior strategy in order to claim victory."

The three girls seemed to soak in this information as they listened attentively.

"My plan is as such, Akane and I will infiltrate into the camp at nightfall. Meanwhile Natsuko will begin assaulting the Bandits at range with _Kage Bunshin_ and other Jutsu to lure them into a trapped area we will setup. Hinata your job will be to provide Natsuko with targeting instructions, enemy locations, and to neutralize any threats that might make it past the traps. This will all start half an hour after we depart. As this is happening the two of us will retrieve the hostages and defeat any potential Shinobi that might be in the enemy's forces along with thinning their numbers from inside."

The three Genin confirmed their understanding before setting out to begin booby trapping the area.

 _***SooP***_

'This really was the best possible team for showing the strength of Kunoichi' Kurenai mused as she and the redheaded Uzumaki began sneaking through the trees toward their target.

'The two sisters already have a near instinctual concept of teamwork and reliance on one another and have easily incorporated Hinata into this group as well. Hinata's self-confidence has been increasing steadily since the start as has Akane's trust in others and Natsuko's patience and strategic skill. Give them a couple of years and they will truly be a force to be reckoned with individually, if they can stay together they will be unbeatable. The only thing to worry about now is how they will react with their first kills. This is always one of the hardest events for a Shinobi, especially for Kunoichi.'

"Patrol up ahead"

The red eyed Jonin was brought out of her thoughts and nodded in confirmation of her student's observation. She had chosen Akane not only for her physical skill and reliance on subtle techniques but also for her amazing stealth prowess and her almost Byakugan-like sensory abilities.

The two Kunoichi easily slipped past the almost jokingly pathetic patrols that the bandits had set about and made their way into the heart of the camp itself, where they would begin their search for the imprisoned girls.

Motioning for Akane to check a group of tents nearby, Kurenai leaped silently onto one of the larger structures and made a small incision on the roof, allowing her to peer through at the contents below.

From her vantage point she could make out a group of around fifteen men, all in what appeared to be their late twenties. They were seated around a large rectangular table with the head of the meeting as an obvious Shinobi.

"Alright shut it all yall its time for our next attack. Were gonna be attacking that crap ass village again and this time I expect better goods than some bread and greens. I know they are holdin out on us and I be damned if they are gonna get away with it. They think they so smart but we gonna show them whose in charge, they try and cheat us out of our riches and they gonna pay with their women!"

The other men cheered as what appeared to be the normal leader of the bandits continued his rant, while the Shinobi simply smiled contently.

"Whuts duh plan boss"

"Were gonna charge in thar and start kickin down doors till we get whats we want you idjit. Then we are gonna burn down some of their shit houses as a warnin to any who be thinkin bout fightin back."

Kurenai silently placed a handful of explosive tags all around the building before moving on, hoping to incinerate the crude men before they even knew what happened.

 _***SooP***_

Akane had made far better progress towards their goals than her Sensei had. The first makeshift building she had checked appeared to contain several crates full jewelry, money, and other valuables undoubtedly taken from the nearby villages. What was even more convenient was that it hadn't been guarded or sorted yet, meaning that the crates all seemed to align with different villages.

As for the guards, that question had been answered from a nearby conversation as one bandit appeared to be complaining to another about how no one had been permitted to guard the valuables since they were caught trying to steal from the "community chest".

Upon making a note of the contents she moved onto the next of her targets, only to find it being used as sleeping quarters, after laying several makeshift traps, so that when the inhabitants inevitably woke from the assault and attempted to leave the building would explode.

Two more storage tents and she finally found the main objective for their mission unfortunately for the bandits what the girl found would awaken a fury inside of her that would frighten even experienced Shinobi.

 _***SooP***_

Hogai had always considered himself a rather calm and collected man. He was a man of practicality and logic. Since he had been born outside of any Hidden Villages he had been denied the training in his obvious Ninja talents. Instead he had been found by another rogue Ninja and taken as an apprentice, there he had discovered that true power in the world must be taken, not given to someone like those who were raised in their protective fortresses, behind which they were pampered with training, supplies, and resources that the lesser villages could only dream about.

Which is why he had joined up with a small group of individuals roughly a year ago. They were the kind of outcasts that knew what had to be done to survive in this world. The kind of men that had the strength of will to do what was necessary and take what was squandered by those with privilege and easy upbringings. It was here that he also found his polar opposite in a man named 'Iwao'.

Iwao was a Ninja who had been born in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where he had received a formal education, a good upbringing, and even a team to fight with. It was also there that he had learned his hatred of society. He would rant and rave about the favoritism that was granted to those of the main Ninja Clans. He had apparently been passed up for promotions and ridiculed due to his status as a "civilian Shinobi". It was on one of these missions that he had made his fateful choice in life.

After succeeding in a simple protection mission his Sensei had congratulated the other two members of his squad, while criticizing Iwao himself. This lead to the man poisoning the meal he was forced to prepare for the others as punishment. From that day forward he had become a missing Nin.

Although the two had bonded over their shared skills they had very little else in common, thus while there was a mutual respect for what the other had accomplished there was very little sense of friendship between the two men.

Yes, Hogai was always calm and collected, which was why when the first explosions began on the outskirts of the camp his first thought was that one of the towns had finally decided to hire Ninja to go against them, but since the villages were undoubtedly poor by this point it would be a group of Chunin at best.

Then the explosions began inside the camp as well, various tents began exploding, engulfing nearby structures and men alike in flames.

Hogai ordered several nearby soldiers to go and secure the prisoners, if the worst would happen they could be used as bargaining pieces or decoys while the two Ninja made their escape.

As the men ran towards where the young girls were being kept prisoner the Shinobi suddenly became aware of another presence among the flames. Looking up he caught sight of… her.

He had heard horror stories from his mentor that during the Third Shinobi War there was a woman whose presence would strike fear in the hearts of her enemies on the battlefield, a Kunoichi so powerful and terrifying that few ever encountered her and lived to tell the tale. Those that did told of a warrior unbelievably fast and silent, who would slaughter dozens of Shinobi without effort with her blade. A warrior who would be drenched in blood, and yet all the while maintain a smile on her face, as if she was truly content with the hell-like battlefields that only she could create.

Now decades later this man who prized himself with always analyzing a situation first, with subduing his emotions and reactions to the point where he could always plan out and anticipate what would happen next found himself frozen in fear at the sight of a woman, standing in the shadows cast by the burning buildings around them. Her figure cloaked no more than a silhouette against the flaming background.

Yet he could tell several things for certain which made his blood freeze in a way he had never experienced before. First she wielded a katana, no big deal in itself, but she also appeared to be absolutely covered in blood. Her face bore a slight smile, as if the havoc around her was comforting. Finally there was the red hair. The hair that was so rare for this country and that had helped earn the woman of whom his Sensei had spoken of her nickname.

Kushina of the Bloody Smile.

But it was impossible. The rumors were that she had died over a decade ago. Even if she hadn't there was no way she could be so young still… right? Unless the whispers and legends were true, that she wasn't a Kunoichi at all, but rather the Shinigami itself taking mortal form to reap those who evaded their fates, those who dared to taunt the God of Death.

Before he could decide on a course of action a nearby cry of terror brought him out of his fear induced state. Glancing over he saw his fellow Shinobi screaming in terror, as an older woman with black hair casually walked up to him, and slit his throat.

A Genjutsu wielder, by the looks of her she was more than just a Chunin as well. How the nearby villages had managed to summon a Jonin for assistance was beyond him but one thing was certain, he was outmatched in every sense of the word. He needed to escape.

Turning back to his original target his eyes widened as the girl who had been his focus had vanished without a trace. Perhaps it was all just a Genjutsu then? A technique designed to create fear in the shape of a legend that would frighten any who had heard the old tales.

This would be the man's last wish, before a sword pierced his chest from behind, ending his hopeful belief.

 _***SooP***_

After her sister and Sensei had left the staging area Natsuko began the discussion of their assault plan for the attack.

"Okay Hinata-chan I will launch a few _Kage Bunshin_ as scouts to determine where the main bad guys are, then they will throw out some explosive tags just outside the camp to get everyone's attention before leading back away from the camp. I want to bring as many of the bad guys as possible so that Kurenai-Sensei and onee-chan have less to fight."

The pale eyed girl nodded in understanding before pointing out a few positions where the blonde could hide out decoy clones to further lure in the enemy.

When the attack began Natsuko's clones immediately defeated two larger groups of enemies, and brought another twenty or so back through the forest with them.

As the men began to chase the 'phantoms' through the forest, with the clones dispersing discreetly only to have another clone hidden nearby move in a different direction, the Uzumaki had a brilliant idea from back when she used to prank people in the village. Summoning up a few more _Kage Bunshin_ she sent them into the trees to begin whispering down from the darkness, further confusing and terrifying the bandits who began running into traps and other devices which would injure or cripple various members of their group.

After the traps had whittled down most of the remaining men Hinata took to striking from the shadows, often aided by clones of her companion to overwhelm single opponents at a time, before disappearing back into the night.

The effect worked even better than Kurenai had predicted, with the bandits fleeing off into random directions rather than group together for protection.

It took less than a half an hour to rid the area of over half the gathered bandits. The two Genin then proceeded back towards the camp, hoping that their other two companions had just as much luck.

 _***SooP***_

Fury filled the mind of the red haired Uzumaki. Fury at those who would dare treat other human beings this way.

As the teenager began freeing the bound village girls she took in their appearances. They were dirty from being dragged through the dirt and mud. Their bodies were cut and bruised, either from the travel or the men themselves. Luckily their clothing was only torn and muddy, leading the Kunoichi to believe that they had been spared any sort of major traumatic events. They had been obviously starved though, which was just another mark against the bandits.

After the group had been untied, and they had been sufficiently hushed to where they were only mildly whimpering with hunger, pain, and fear, Akane quietly explained the plan before telling them to follow her while they made their escape.

It had gone perfectly, with Akane's senses able to find the miscellaneous guards before they were seen.

Unfortunately when the group finally reached the outskirts one of the younger girls tripped from exhaustion and cried out in pain, alerting several nearby rogues.

The girl's eyes opened wide in fear and regret as she looked towards her fellow captives. Part of her seemed to want to cry and tell them to leave her, while part wanted them to save her.

Akane took control of the situation and picked the girl up before handing her off to two others

"You need to keep going, a quarter of a mile in that direction you will find a small group of blonde haired girls that all look the same. They will take care of you and help you to get back to one of the villages nearby. Don't stop moving until you are safe. Most importantly, don't look back."

"What about you?" One of the girls whispered out, not wanting to abandon another teenage girl to these monsters.

Akane knew that they would never be able to outpace the bandits though, especially with the condition the women were in.

"I'll be fine I am a Kunoichi after all."

The group reluctantly continued off into the darkness.

Soon the two men who had heard the cry came bounding into the open, having just caught sight of the escaping prisoners one prepared to shout and raise the alarm.

The air never left his lunges.

Instead a Kunai was thrown into his throat, causing him to gurgle what would most likely have been a cry of pain.

An instant later the girl was on them, the katana given to her by her two Kenjutsu Senseis already unsheathed and slicing into the other man's chest.

Blood sprayed everywhere as the Uzumaki ripped the Kunai from the first man before impaling him through his heart with her blade.

There was so much blood, it covered he hands, and her arms in a bright crimson.

She wanted to fall down sobbing, to throw up any food she might have had. But she couldn't not with so many people depending on her at this moment.

So instead she leveled her gaze on another patrol that had wandered into the area, and began the slaughter that these bastards so richly deserved.

 _***SooP***_

After the assault began and the explosions went off Kurenai took stock of her situation and decided that the first task should be the elimination of the Chunin. She had caught sight of Akane sneaking the prisoners out of the camp a few minutes prior and so was no longer concerned for them. Which meant that it was time to put her team first, the first step to protecting them was the deaths of those who were the largest threat to them.

She found the first one easily enough, his ability to suppress his Chakra was laughable at best. A simple Genjutsu and the man was nearly paralyzed with fear, and screaming his head off. She made her way forward before cutting the man's throat, finding no joy in it but only a necessary evil to protect those who had earned protection.

Glancing over she saw the second Ninja… impaled on the katana of a small, blood clad figure.

He eyes opened wide in horror as she recognized the form and clothing of her student, despite the blood.

"Akane…"

The girl turned slightly towards the older woman, her eyes had a gaze to them that nearly brought tears to the Kunoichi's eyes. They were full of bloodlust and rage, clearly something had happened that forced this girl to enter such a state.

Kurenai could only thank Kami that there was no Kyuubi Chakra being emitted from her.

As a handful of men ran into the clearing they stared slack jawed at the bloody scene in front of them.

One cried out an order of attack on the two women, the others hesitated, but decided to charge anyway.

Akane charged forward, near silently, before ducking under the heavy handed blow of the first man. As the blade passed over her head she thrust forward with her sword, impaling the man through the chest before spinning towards another, a kunai already in a reverse grip as she slammed it through the man's eyes.

Before the others could react to what had just occurred the Uzumaki ripped the kunai out, throwing it into the third's heart as she leaped onto the remaining bandit's chest, instantly knocking him down, before pulling another Kunai from her sleeve and going to work.

She slashed and stabbed the prone enemy beneath her until blood coated her face from their proximity. Then she continued stabbing, releasing her anger, frustration, and sorrows through her blade completely unaware that the man had died shortly after the first wound.

It took Kurenai's full strength to pull her off, and her shouts to focus the girl on the present situation. With the camp burning around them and the other bandits dead it was time to retrieve what they could of their gear and the village's belongings and leave before being caught in the blaze themselves.

 _***SooP***_

"Thank you all so much for your help! The girls have been returned safely to their homes and you have managed to save much of the heirlooms and little wealth that we have. We cannot thank you enough."

The leader of the village council continued to lavish the team of Kunoichi with praise even though their thoughts were on their silent member, who had not spoken or made eye contact with any of them since the event two nights prior.

The team had stuck around just to ensure that no bandits had survived to seek revenge, along with giving Kurenai time to speak with her Genin about what had transpired.

 _***Flashback***_

"Girls, I was hoping that we could have gone longer without having to run into this situation but in a way I am glad it happened like this as well. As Kunoichi you will be required to kill in future missions, there is no way around this. As one of the major turning points in a Ninja's career you need to ask yourself if you are going to be okay with this type of life. I am not going to lie to you and say that it gets any easier, it doesn't and it shouldn't. This time it was bandits who terrorized innocent people. Next time it might be someone who seems innocent or even another Genin who is as young as you are. I will not blame you, or feel ashamed if any of you drop out of the program when we get back to the village. There is a reason that elder Shinobi are rare, we do not have long life expectancies and those who do tend to end up with emotional scarring."

"I-I will be okay Kurenai-Sensei, I am just worried about…." Hinata glanced briefly towards her fellow Kunoichi. Akane hadn't said a word and looked as if she was broken on the inside.

Natsuko merely nodded that she was okay before turning back to her sister. The blonde had not left her side since the incident.

Kurenai merely sighed hopefully the red head had not been broken mentally from what she had to do.

 _***End Flashback***_

"I am just glad that we were able to save the girls and your belongings without any real trouble." The oldest Kunoichi confirmed.

"Do you need to stay a few more days? Many of the rescued girls are still recovering and have expressed the desire to thank their saviors. We would be more than happy to let you stay for free."

"As lovely as that would be I am afraid that…" Kurenai was interrupted as a hawk's cry sounded from the sky.

Swooping down it landed on the Jonin's outstretched arm and delivered its message before tilting its head, signaling that it was to wait for a reply.

The red eyed woman scanned over the message, frowning, before making a few scribbles onto the scroll and throwing the creature back into the air, where it took flight back towards Konoha.

"It appears that we do not have any more time to rest anyways, another team has encountered trouble on a mission and we have been requested to aide them due to our proximity."

The elders nodded before waiving the girls off, each looking slightly worried at the most downtrodden of the group.

The team sped off, making their way towards the Land of Waves.

***A/N***

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the part from the bandit's point of view it gives a neat way of introducing history and background in my opinion. Other than that not much to say here, yes they will be going on the (ugh) wave mission. But the reason I am including this is to introduce the two teams and resolve a few minor issues that have been bouncing around in my head.

 **So far no pairings have been decided on, if you have suggestions PM or leave them in a review.**

I hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it.


	5. Rendezvous

**Sum of our Parts**

Rendezvous

Thank you everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite, or followed

***I wish I made $ off of Naruto, cause then I would be rich as crap. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

Kurenai thanked Kami that Kakashi's team had been smart enough to inform the Hokage of their location, if her team was forced to wander around Wave searching for him it would have been a major pain, and another distraction that she did not need at the time.

Rather the current focus of her attention was her, still silent, red haired Genin.

The Jonin Sensei was beginning to believe that all of her lessons with Yugao and Hayate. Despite the incredible progress she had made Kurenai was thinking that it wasn't worth the cost of the poor girl's mental health.

She was still trying to figure out how to help the Uzumaki when they spotted the house of Team seven's client, a man named Tazuna.

After knocking in a distinctive pattern, the door opened to reveal the Inuzuka standing behind it.

"Oh uh hey there…."

"Kurenai"

"Ah right sorry, Kurenai-Sama. I heard we were getting some reinforcements so I guess it's your team eh? Well we can use all the help we can get, even if it is all Kunoichi."

"What does that mean Kiba? The red-eyed woman glared as she growled out the question.

"Heh nothing, nothing sorry. You probably want to talk with Kakashi-Sensei correct? He's upstairs first door on the right. Sakura and Sasuke are in the living room."

Upon entering the team leader immediately went upstairs while the other three Kunoichi went to join their former classmates.

 _***SooP***_

"Kakashi,"

"Yo" the cyclopean man barely managed to mutter out, being otherwise unable to move from massive Chakra and physical exhaustion.

"Looks like you went ten rounds with a Kage, what the hell happened?"

"The mission was going okay until we were ambushed by Zabuza Momochi. I was forced to use the Sharingan against him and well… you can probably guess the rest. It originally looked like he had been killed by a Hunter-Nin but now I am not so sure. Either way it looks as though our client lied about the mission parameters, he knew he was being hunted by a man named Gato."

"The famous shipping magnate? He's one of the richest men in the world right now, why would he be interested in Tazuna?"

"He is dominating the village by controlling all imports and exports Tazuna wants to build a bridge so that they do not have to rely on the water ways.

"You aren't considering continuing this mission are you Kakashi? I know you are a famous Shinobi but the man lied about the circumstances, if we let things like this go then we will…"

"I am well aware of the consequences Kurenai. Are you really just going to let this bastard starve and kill innocent people because they cannot afford a higher ranking mission though?"

"And if it hadn't been you who was assigned? What if it had been a group of Chunin who were killed on this mission?"

"We cannot control the 'what if's' Kurenai-San and you know it. My team has already voted unanimously to stay so we will be in this for the long haul. I understand if you wish to return to Konoha, I won't blame you for not risking your student's lives for another's decision."

"Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. Isn't that what you always say?" The Kunoichi let out a sigh of frustration before looking back towards the bed ridden man. "I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if we deserted you and one of your team was killed so I guess we are in this with you though you seriously owe me after this one Hatake."

 _***SooP***_

"So uh you are here to help us out right? Well it will be nice to have a few more Kunoichi on the mission it has been such a pain being stuck with all boys except Sasuke-kun of course."

"O-of course Sakura-san. So what happened that you needed help? I thought K-Kakashi-Sama was very powerful?"

"Kakashi-Sensei is awesome! A bit lazy but who cares the guy kicks ass! We ran into this missing Nin guy named Zabuza who had a huge sword but Kakashi was all like whoosh wham bam and kicked him all over the place and then some masked guy shows up and throws some needles into his neck and takes him away, something about him being a criminal and all." Kiba excitedly explained, while Akamaru yelped in agreement.

"Oh man that sounds sooo cool! I wish we could've seen that fight." Natsuko happily chimed in, while Sasuke just stared at the remaining Kunoichi in silence.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke asked, nodding in the direction of Akane, who was seated by herself in the corner.

"Um well A-Akane-chan…"

"We had some problems on the last mission and onee-chan is just not feeling well."

"She looks sick. Has your Sensei checked to see if she is ill?" Sakura helpfully chimed in.

"Yeah she used some medical Jutsu on her, I think she is just having some trouble being away from Konoha for the first time, you know homesick kind of stuff." The blonde replied, trying to divert attention away from her sister.

A minute later the Kunoichi Jonin came down the stairs and gathered the Genin together.

"Alright the situation is that both Kakashi and I agree that our teams will stay here in wave, despite being blatantly lied to by the client." At this she sent a glare towards the old man who looked away in shame and embarrassment, while his daughter glared at him as well. "We both believe that Zabuza is most likely still alive, the technique that was described as bringing him down does not sound like a normal one that Hunter-Nin use, they also dispose of the bodies immediately rather than transporting them to a different location."

"Y-you mean Zabuza i-is still a-alive?" Sakura stuttered out as memories of their confrontation came rushing back into her mind.

"Yes but now we know what to expect, have the home field advantage, and we have twice the power as before. Both Zabuza and Kakashi should be recovered at roughly the same time and so there is no concern about a surprise attack on that part. For now the plan is that Kakashi and I will take turns training you six in the week to come while the other watches over Tazuna's family."

The various Genin instantly perked up at the thought of training, minus Akane who seemed to barely react at all.

"For now though I want you all to get used to the area surrounding us and the bridge. Most likely the final confrontation will be at one of these two places and we need as much help as we can get for when everything comes to pass. You will be going out in groups of two and be gone no longer than an hour at a time, if something happens spike your Chakra and the rest of us will come to assist you."

 _***SooP***_

Kakashi had been in bed all day, having needed food brought up to him when it was time for their meals. Now that the sun was setting the normal comfort that the former ANBU found in the darkness was beginning to wash over him, when he heard the door to his room almost silently open, and a figure enter before closing it behind them.

Opening his lone visible eye the Jonin's blood immediately froze in his veins as he saw the redhead Uzumaki standing above his bed, staring down at him emotionlessly before she slowly pulled a Kunai out of her pocket.

'So this is how it ends? It is fitting I suppose, if anyone deserves to end my life it would be one of the two girls that I abandoned. I am so sorry Minato and Kushina. I tried to be there but I failed again.'

Closing his eyes in a resignation to his fate the man barely felt the small incision directly above his mouth, before his upper back, head, and neck were gently propped up with another pillow.

Opening his eyes he noticed the girl bringing a glass of murky liquid to his lips.

"Drink slowly" she commanded softly.

The Shinobi did as he was told and instantly realized what it was. It had been created back during the Third Shinobi War as a long term replacement for food pills. It rejuvenated the body, restored Chakra, and helped heal wounds but at a slower pace, and without the harmful exhaustion that came with the alternative. It came as a powder and would be added to water, which it also purified as another helpful side effect.

As the man consumed the enriched liquid he glanced up at the teenage girl standing next to him. She bore no ill will, but rather the same empty gaze as when she entered the room.

After he had finished she draped another blanket over his prone form before turning to leave.

"Wait…"

She froze mid step before turning back.

"Why?"

"Because Inu-Sama, you were kind to Natsuko and I growing up."

Kakashi's eye widened even larger, how the girl had figured out his identity was mind boggling.

"You knew"

"Of course, you smell the same after all. Don't worry, Natsuko doesn't know. It always took her longer to connect a scent with its source."

"If you knew then why are you doing this? You should hate me."

"Because you always showed remorse for your failure, and I knew it wasn't necessarily your fault that you had to leave. You were ANBU it isn't your job to follow around two orphan girls their entire lives to make sure that everything is perfect."

"I should have though. I should have been there more for you and your sister protected you, made sure you were living good lives. Instead I watched as you were mistreated, starved, attacked…."

"You stopped most of them that is what matters. No one can succeed all the time, what matters, is that you tried to."

With that the young girl left, leaving a thoroughly stunned Jonin.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright Team seven what was Kakashi working on with you before your mission?" Kurenai asked the assembled Genin as they gathered in the nearby woods.

"Kakashi-Sensei teaches us a lot of teamwork and missions and stuff" Kiba answered with a grin.

"Okay but individually what do all of you know, so I can gauge what to work on with each of you."

"I was going to start them on tree walking today." Kakashi answered as he managed to enter the clearing on crutches.

"You haven't even started them on that yet!? Damnit Kakashi!"

"Heh? You worry too much Kurenai-san they will be fiiiiiiiine"

"Ugh… fine tree walking first, okay Team seven here is what you will be working on today."

After a brief explanation and example the three Genin went to work on the exercise, with Sakura quickly getting the hang of it while the two boys struggled.

"Hey what gives why don't the other three have to do this!?" Kiba whined out as he noticed Hinata and Natsuko sparring with each other.

"Because I already taught Hinata and Natsuko how to do that and the water walking exercise." Kurenai explained.

"Oh? Not leaving out one of your Genin from training are you Kurenai-san?" Kakashi inquired with an eye smile.

"Of course not Kakashi- _san_ Akane already knew both exercises and is more than proficient in them."

When she said this a loud crash was heard as Kiba fell down the tree, stunned.

"S-she already knew how to do it?" Sakura sputtered out, having convinced herself that despite being scary Akane was the worst in the class.

"Apparently she was self taught, quite impressive for a dead last I must say." Kurenai mused, before gesturing the other Jonin over to her.

"Something you wish to speak about Kurenai-san?"

The two began walking away from their students as Kurenai began.

"Kakashi-san, I know I am going to regret this later but… could you speak with Akane? During our last mission she was forced to kill over a dozen bandits in close combat. She was practically drenched in blood afterwards and hasn't spoken more than a sentence to us since then. Normally I would help her myself but my experience with this type of thing is outshined by yours, no disrespect."

"None taken, how did she manage it if I might ask?"

"She has been training with Yugao and Hayate with the katana lately."

"Ah sounds like a miniature Kushina."

Suddenly Kurenai froze mid-step and glared over towards the man, who realized his error instantly.

"You knew!"

"Kurenai-san it isn't…."

"Damnit Kakashi what the hell were you and the Third thinking!? What was going to happen if we were sent on a diplomatic mission and ran into someone from Iwa who recognized them?"

"It wasn't my choice! I wanted to tell them when they made Genin, hell even earlier!" The man shot back in anger, earning a sigh from the Kunoichi.

"I'm sorry Kakashi-san, I have been really stressed lately with Akane's depression and having to keep this from them. You know how important it is to them I feel as though I am betraying them and their trust."

"I know what you mean. I'll talk to Akane now see if I can figure out what exactly is bothering her, why don't you and your team join us? This needs to be something that you all will address."

 _***SooP***_

Akane sat in front of the silver haired Jonin, with her Sensei and sister sitting off to the side staring at her worriedly. Hinata had stayed to help Team seven with their training. Kakashi merely stared into her eyes, his expression one of concern.

"Tell me what happened Akane." He commanded in a soft, yet firm voice.

For a few minutes the other Kunoichi believed that she hadn't heard the question before she whispered out, "I killed them, all of them. I didn't feel remorse or sadness when I did I just took their lives away."

"Okay, who did you kill?"

"Those men…"

"The bandits?"

"Yes"

"But they were bad men correct? They were going to hurt you, hurt your team. They were going to hurt those innocent girls."

On the way to the meeting Kurenai had informed Kakashi of enough details for him to know what to address.

"They were people..."

"They gave up the right to being called human when they stopped acting like one. But it's not just about that is it?"

Kurenai looked towards the male Jonin strangely for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant before the young girl finally whispered out an answer that nearly stopped her heart.

"They were right…"

"Who was right?" The silver haired man prodded.

"All of them, they were right, I am a monster."

"Akane, who called you that?"

In response the redhead finally broke down and shouted back.

"ALL OF THEM, THE VILLAGERS, THE SHINOBI, THE SHOP KEEPERS, THE HOSPITAL WORKERS, THE PEOPLE AT THE ORPHANAGE!"

"They are wrong Akane, you are not a monst…"

"I enjoyed killing them! I ripped them apart, their blood covered me and all I felt was adrenaline and excitement. How can you call me anything but a demon!? I am nothing more than a…"

The slap that sounded afterwards seemed to silence the entire forest.

"Natsuko…" Kurenai muttered out in a shocked tone at the blonde's action.

"You are not a demon, you are not a monster, you are the strongest, most protective person I know. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be alive at this point, even if I was who knows what I would be. You protected me when no one else would, when no one else could. You are the furthest thing from a monster possible. Those men you killed were the monsters Akane, because they had a choice in what they would do and they chose to hurt innocent people, you chose to save the innocent, to protect them. You weren't killing the villagers in fact you made sure they were safe before anything else."

The shorter Uzumaki just held her sister in a tight hug, trying to comfort her while Kakashi motioned for Kurenai to the side.

"We need to talk to the Hokage when we get back. I am sure nothing is wrong but they will need to be informed about… their burden before they accidently tap into it and it gets even worse."

The red eyed Kunoichi merely nodded sadly, watching the emotional hug that was taking place.

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke glared at the newest challenge in his life, the tree that seemed to taunt him and his failures. Growling in a very Inuzuka-like manner he ran at the object of his current hatred once more, and made it a few steps up before being forced backwards.

"Damnit!" The young boy swore, as he glanced over at a passed out Sakura and Kiba who was panting from the effort.

"You are using too much Chakra."

Spinning around Sasuke noticed the only member of Team eight to have stuck around, Hinata.

"What the hell do you know about it?"

"Considering I actually can perform the exercise, more than you do obviously. You are having the same problem that Natsuko-chan had when she started. You are trying to force more Chakra into your feet to force the Jutsu to work. Tree climbing isn't like of your Uchiha fire techniques though. You can't push it out with just raw power."

"Then how in the hell are Kiba and Sakura surpassing me?"

"They have less Chakra than you do. It's far easier for them to do the small scale techniques that will naturally be more difficult for you."

Again the boy growled in annoyance before running at the tree again, this time putting a little less Chakra into his technique.

 _***SooP***_

When the group of tired Genin returned they were met with a comfortable, albeit small, home cooked meal from Tsunami.

"Sorry there isn't much here, we have been going through tough times and food is a bit scarce." The woman mentioned, a bit downtrodden at their situation.

"No need to apologize Tsunami-san we are more than grateful to have a warm meal that does not consist of ramen." The Kunoichi Jonin thanked, while her blonde Genin muttered about the joys of the "food of the Gods".

Sasuke merely grunted while the rest of the Ninja offered their thanks as well.

"Why do you even bother?"

The Konoha Ninja turned to see a young boy standing in the doorway, offering a glare towards those assembled.

"You are just going to die like everyone else no one can stop Gato so you should just leave now!"

"Don't you worry about us kid we will take care of this Gato guy and everyone else he can throw at us. Konoha Shinobi do not back down!" Kiba proudly proclaimed.

"You don't know anything about us! How can you sit there and act like you know what will happen. All of you just live in your perfect city in your perfect lives while the rest of us suffer!" The boy continued.

Akane stood up immediately, her chair quickly sliding back as the two Jonin tensed, ready to intercept her should she choose to try and hurt the boy.

"You are the one who seems to not understand suffering. You live in a large house with a mother and grandfather who love you. You have food to eat every night. You are not forced to steal just to provide for yourself and what little family you have. You do not know how the world truly works instead you sit around and mope and complain everyday about how life should be and how terrible life is without doing anything to try and better yourself. If you truly do not like how things are then make a change and if that doesn't work then change something else. Giving up will not solve your problems."

With that the red haired girl left, muttering about doing some late night training.

Inari ran from the room soon afterwards, leaving a tense silence behind.

"What was she talking about Kakashi-Sensei? There isn't anyone who has to live like that in Konoha… right?"

"I'm afraid your wrong Sakura, life is not always fair and more often than not it seems to target certain individuals just to throw obstacles in their way."

Glancing towards her fellow teammate Hinata immediately noticed the depressed look on the blonde's face. Once more the Hyuga wondered what she truly knew about the two Uzumaki sisters, and just how strong they were for having to survive a life like they had described.

 _***SooP***_

Early the next morning Haku was wandering through the forest, searching for herbs and flowers to help his Sensei recover from the near-death state he was forced to put the man in to save his life.

Upon reaching a nearby clearing the boy caught sight of a young red haired Kunoichi sleeping on the ground. As he wandered over he began examining her, she had a Konoha headband on and thus was obviously with the other team that Zabuza had faced, but he did not recognize her from their previous encounter.

Still she was to be considered an enemy and a potential threat, since there was no one else around he could eliminate her now and remove her from the future battle.

Reaching down towards her neck the girl snapped awake and leaped away from him, immediately drawing a kunai.

"Ah Kunoichi-san are you alright? I saw you lying on the ground and thought that you might need help."

"I am quite alright, who are you?" The girl replied, relaxing slightly but keeping her weapon drawn.

"My name is Haku I am here to gather herbs for a friend of mine that is quite ill."

"I see, I apologize for my reaction, do you need any help?"

"I would be happy to accept your assistance thank you…"

"Akane"

"Akane-san it is then."

For the next half hour the two busied themselves. They conversed lightly about the surrounding areas and their hobbies while picking the various plants the boy required.

"Tell me something Akane-san, why are you a Ninja? Surely there are easier paths you could have chosen for yourself."

"I suppose I always wanted to be one while I was growing up. Then things changed and it became more of a necessity to protect my sister."

"I see, so you fight for her then? Is she a Kunoichi as well?"

"Yes she is. What about you Haku-san? Do you have any important people in your life?"

"I do, the man I am healing is the most important thing in the world to me. He saved my life and gave me purpose. Without him I would be dead, or worse."

"I know how you feel I would have succumbed to darkness or loneliness a hundred times by now if it wasn't for Natsuko. She is the light in my world."

"It sounds like she is quite special. Do be sure to protect her then Akane-san. It is the desire to protect someone that makes a person truly strong."

With that the young boy left, hurrying back to his Sensei to speed his recovery.

Meanwhile Akane just watched the boy leave, and then took her hand off of the Kunai she had been hiding in her sleeve the entire time.

 _***SooP***_

"Why do I have to keep doing this exercise when I already have it mastered?" Sakura whined as her Sensei pointed the three members of Team seven to the trees again.

"Because Sakura your Chakra reserves are the smallest here by far, which makes it easier for you to do the exercise but it exhausts you after a few minutes. This will build up your stamina for when you learn the more powerful techniques later." Kurenai answered, assuming that Kakashi was just going to ignore the poor girl anyway.

"Man this is crap, Sasuke and I weren't born with ridiculous Chakra control like you were."

"It has nothing to do with that Kiba, it took Hinata a day or two to full master this technique and Natsuko was thrown back about ten feet the first time she tried it, she spent an entire week to fully master it." The Kunoichi Jonin replied while the two girls just nodded.

"So only Akane has the control for it then?" Sakura chimed in, wondering if she shared something in common with a fellow Kunoichi.

"It would seem that way Sakura, Akane's Chakra control is close to your level despite her huge reserves, I suppose she was just born lucky in that regard." Kurenai replied with a slight tinge of jealousy in her voice.

The blonde Uzumaki just chuckled from nearby.

"Onee-chan's Chakra control was worse than mine when she started this stuff."

"Wh-what but then how?"

"Three months."

The non-Uzumaki Ninja all froze at the new voice.

"Hey onee-chan!"

"Hello Natsuko, like I said it took me three months to perfect this exercise. The first week was spent just being able to stick my foot to a tree without burning a hole through it."

"B-burning?"

"Yeah, my Chakra is so dense that it doesn't push me back like all of yours do when you use too much. Instead mine superheats the surface and melts through it luckily I picked isolated trees so that I didn't start a forest fire."

"It almost sounds like you have an extreme fire affinity with your Chakra." Kakashi mused, much to the bewilderment of his students.

"Affinity?" Kiba muttered, as if trying to recall what the word meant.

"Yes, all Shinobi have one or more Chakra affinities, they tell you what type of elemental Jutsu are the easiest for you to perform. For instance the Uchiha Clan was well known for its fire affinity. I already had them tested though."

"Oh and what was Akane's affinity then Kurenai?" The silver haired man inquired, even though he was acting like he wasn't paying attention to the conversation.

"Whatever affinity correlates to the paper exploding." Akane deadpanned.

Kakashi's lone eye widened to epic proportions

 _***SooP***_

"So today's the big day right?" Kiba asked out loud to no one in particular.

"I-it would seem so Kiba-san, Kurenai-Sensei and Kakashi-Sensei said that Z-Zabuza should be recovered by today and would most likely a-attack." Hinata clarified as the eight Ninja made their way with Tazuna down towards the bridge.

Kurenai had already sent Inari, Tsunami, and Tazuna to a nearby house that was discreet enough so that they wouldn't be targeted by Gato.

"So what is the plan Ero-Sensei?" The adorable blonde inquired with an innocent tilt of her head.

"You don't have to call me that you know… in fact I would prefer you just call me Kakashi instead…"

"Aww come on Ero-Sensei I think it sounds rather catchy."

"You know Kiba I might not be able to do anything to Natsuko but I can have you do some solo Tora missions when we get back to Konoha…"

"Wait why can Natsuko get away with it but Kiba can't?"

"A very good question Sakura."

The pinkette stared at her teacher for a minute before realizing the man had gone back to reading his orange book.

"And?"

"Hm did you say something Sakura?"

"Why is Natsuko allowed to but Kiba and the rest of us can't?" the girl gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"Oh that's not true Akane can get away with it too."

Hinata giggled at the two Ninja's antics as they continued their journey.

Sakura just growled, before looking towards the other Jonin.

"Kurenai-Sensei, could you give me a straight answer?"

"Of course Sakura, it is because Kakashi-san knows that if he is mean to Natsuko then Akane will cut off the part of him that makes him a man, and if he is mean to Akane herself, then Natsuko will set his porn stash on fire."

The two male Genin winced at the implications, and discreetly moved their hands closer to protect their most important areas, while their Sensei gave a sage nod in agreement.

Moments later they came to the bridge, just as a dense mist began rolling in.

***A/N***

I wasn't intending on spending this much time on wave but I wanted to include a bit more of Team seven's training.

Sorry for anyone who has reviewed and not received a reply yet, normally I PM back but the review system on FF is broken.

 **Don't forget I am still taking suggestions on potential pairings for later on in the story.**

Hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing this chapter.


	6. Blood Red Fog

**Sum of our Parts**

Blood red fog

A huge thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite, or followed

***No Money made, no money earned. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

Never before had Kakashi been so glad to have a backup team. Sure he had always been relieved in the ANBU to have his teammates, and even before that during his time with Minato and his fellow Genin it always felt like the Jonin would be there to protect him.

Now though it wasn't relief he felt towards himself but for his students.

Not only had Zabuza made a full recovery, as they had predicted he would, but he also brought along a substantial amount of help. Apparently Gato was willing to pay quite a large amount of money to continue his control over the area and could easily afford to hire more missing Nin.

Along with his Hunter-Nin ally there were the 'Demon Brothers', a pair of C-Class ninja who worked together for assassinations. Worse still was the older man with the eye patch, a man who both he and Kurenai easily identified as 'Ao', a former member of Kirigakure, like the others.

As he stepped forward with Kurenai he ordered Sasuke and Kiba to take on the fake Hunter-Nin, believing that between the two of them they should have a fighting chance, at least until one of the Jonin could finish their fight. Sakura was told to stay back and lend support as needed. He had hoped to keep her out of the fight. Although the pinkette was intelligent and had excellent Chakra control her combat skills were mediocre at best, Kiba had entrusted her to keep Akamaru out of the fight, and though he trusted his companion he did not have the skill to fight alongside him in combat quite yet.

Kurenai had ordered her team to take down the Demon Brothers, and then aid the other Genin if necessary.

Kakashi himself would take on Zabuza, having already fought the man and thus knew what he was capable of, while the less-melee oriented Kurenai would take on their new opponent.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright Sasuke, let's show this bastard who's boss! I'll take the left and you…"

"I don't need your help Kiba, just stay out of my way."

The Uchiha immediately charged forward, pulling a kunai from his pouch and clashing with the opposing Ninja who had pulled out a senbon to counter.

"Stupid stubborn bastard!" The Inuzuka roared as he charged forward anyway, ignoring the glare from his companion as he tried to flank their opponent with an unarmed strike.

Leaping back the masked Shinobi put some distance between the two before throwing a handful of senbon towards the feral looking boy, who just managed to dodge out of the way before his opponent appeared to his side and delivered a powerful kick, sending the boy flying backwards.

Sasuke had taken this distraction to move behind and try a finish blow, only to find his weapon blocked again by his enemy.

"You are in a hopeless situation, Zabuza knows how to counter your Sensei's greatest advantage now and you are hopelessly outmatched. Even with your reinforcements you have no hope of victory. Please surrender and your lives will be spared."

"Yeah and how do you figure that huh? After I am done beating you I will show you just how powerful an Uchiha can be!"

"Foolish boy, your dominant hand is already trapped by mine, which means you cannot use your Jutsu, and now…" To the Genin's surprise his adversary began going through a series of hand signs, with only one hand.

'I've heard it was possible, Itachi once said he could do Jutsu with only one hand. But to face an opponent so young who is capable of such a feat...' Sasuke was pulled out of his thoughts as Haku finished his motion, and stomped the ground, causing the water around them to rise up and form ice needles.

 _"A Thousand Needles of Death"_

Sasuke immediately focused his Chakra into his feet, and managed to jump high enough to avoid the onslaught, watching as Haku was forced to dodge backwards to escape the blow as well, only to continue dodging as Sasuke threw a barrage of shuriken at his opponent.

Coming to a halt the masked boy wasn't fast enough to dodge the haymaker that Kiba launched, knocking him to the ground several feet away.

"Told you it would be easier if we worked together, stupid stuck up prick." Kiba muttered in annoyance as Sasuke walked up next to him, glaring out of the corner of his eye at the interruption of his match.

"You two should give up now, it is quite obvious that neither of you are up to my speed, and even if you were… that is about to come to an end."

Suddenly the area surrounding them became icy cold and the two boys let out a shiver while their opponent stood and went through a series of hand signs.

Just as he finished the air around them seemed to freeze, as large sheets of ice formed in a dome around them.

 _"Crystal Ice Mirrors"_

The two boys could only watch on in shock as they were surrounded, and their enemy stepped _into_ one of the nearby sheets of ice, appearing to fuse into the mirror itself, before his reflection appeared on the others as well.

"I am sorry, but now you have no choice but to perish here, in this dome of ice."

 _***SooP***_

Kurenai slowly circled her opponent, looking for a sign of what he was capable of. She knew from Bingo Book entries that he had been a former Hunter-Nin and specialized in sensing. Cursing she realized that she had let Kakashi choose their opponents based on his need to prove he was better than Zabuza, rather than the more preferable and tactical face offs.

Knowing how powerful their opponents were the Jonin decided that she didn't have the time to waste on a long drawn out battle, especially if she would be aiding Kakashi against Zabuza.

As she passed into the man's blind spot she subtly activated one of her Genjutsu, making a sphere of Chakra appear around him and creating the illusion that she was still harmlessly circling, instead she moved directly behind him and charged forward, hoping to stab the man and quickly end the battle.

Instead he spun around at the last minute, locking blades with her with a smirk.

"So the reports are true, you are a Genjutsu specialist after all? I will need to be extra cautious in this battle but I would imagine that my skill as a Hunter-Nin will prove enough experience that I can overcome you. Men are physically stronger after all and so in a Taijutsu or weapon contest I will have the distinct advantage."

Growling in annoyance Kurenai ducked down, performing a leg sweep to knock the man off balance, instead he back flipped away before going through a few hand signs and launching a wave of water from his mouth at his opponent.

 _"Water Style: Raging Waves"_

Kurenai managed to dodge the pressurized blast before launching several kunai in retaliation.

Ao dodged them with a smirk, not noticing that the last one had an explosive tag which detonated before he could fully move from the area, resulting in a burned shoulder.

"Not bad, I must say I wasn't expecting much from a Kunoichi, especially one from Konoha. It seems as though your village has been earning some rather disappointing rumors about your generation of Shinobi."

"I intend to rectify that mistake. Once we defeat your group it will remind the world that Konoha is a village to be feared."

"Ah but how will you do that when you cannot see your opponent…" Ao called out, as he slowly walked back into the mist surrounding them.

Again Kurenai inwardly swore. They had allowed themselves to walk into a situation that heavily favored their enemies, most likely in part due to Kakashi wanting to have his fabled rematch that he had been mentioning for the past week.

A second later the Kunoichi became aware of a sound from behind as a torrent of water came barreling out of the mist. She quickly dodged, before moving towards its source and relocating her target. As she drew another kunai the two Ninja again came to a clash, only this time Kurenai did not make the same mistake as before, after the initial parry she disengaged and proceeded to launch a fly of strikes, hoping to overwhelm the man with sheer speed.

She had gathered that although he was physically stronger than her, she outclassed him in terms of raw speed.

The Jonin could only hope that the others were doing better than she was.

 _***SooP***_

"I must say I am impressed Kakashi, your two brats put up a better fight than I would have thought they were capable of against Haku."

"You shouldn't underestimate these Ninja Zabuza, Sasuke is the best young fighter from our village and is hailed as a prodigy, Kiba is no slouch in Taijutsu either, and Sakura is our brightest mind."

"It won't matter though, Haku is faster than all of them and with his secret technique he's unstoppable. Plus I have seen into their eyes Kakashi, they are weak, mere children pretending to be Ninja in a world of killers. Have they even made their first kills yet?" Upon seeing his opponent's eyes narrow in annoyance the missing Nin merely chuckled. "I thought not, Haku knows how to kill and will do so, while I bet none of the Genin on your team could do so without passing out immediately afterwards, pathetic."

"You would be surprised at what our Genin are capable of Zabuza."

"The only ones here that will be surprised are you and your little girlfriend. I can just imagine the shocked looks on your faces when Haku brings the bodies of your two little students with him from the mist. Her team won't fare any better. Three Genin against two C-Class missing Nin, please they are already dead. They didn't earn the name 'The Demon Brothers' for being pushovers after all."

Again Kakashi sent out a glare before charging forward, dodging the horizontal sweep from his opponent he spun around, a kunai already in his hand, and stabbed towards the man's neck.

He was parried at the last second apparently Zabuza hadn't lost any speed since their last encounter, and kicked backwards.

Landing a few feet back Kakashi went through a blur of hand motion before launching a blast of water from his mouth.

 _"Water Style: Water Bomb Jutsu"_

Zabuza had been ready though, and launched his own Jutsu to counter it, laughing as he did so.

 _"Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave"_

At the two attack collided Zabuza's grew stronger upon absorbing his opponent's and surged forward with even greater strength, forcing the cyclopean Jonin to jump high in the air to dodge the assault.

'This is going nowhere fast, from the fluctuations in Chakra it seems like the boys aren't doing so well anymore, the girls are also struggling, and Kurenai is locked in combat with her own opponent. I need to finish this up so that we can help the Genin. I will not lose a student here!'

With his newfound resolve Kakashi decided that the only way to end this battle in a timely manner was to activate his trump card. So once more he lifted up his headband and became 'Kakashi of the Sharingan'.

 _***SooP***_

Meanwhile Natsuko, Hinata, and Akane were busy locked in a lethal battle with the two Demon Brothers.

The two Chunin had made up for their numerical disadvantage with superior individual skill. Strangely enough the teamwork of the opposing teams had roughly evened the two groups out.

The two men had tried for an early victory by charging forward with the chain connecting them, hoping to catch at least one of the younger Genin off guard.

The Hyuga and redhead had dodged to either side, but the blonde had been caught, and then poofed out of existence.

'A clone? But it felt solid, how?' The two Shinobi stared shocked, just as the blonde launched a kunai from up above, having leapt up into the air.

The weapon impacted the chain, bolting it to the ground and forcing the two men to release the chain as the two remaining Kunoichi flanked the men at the same moment, each launching a barrage of Taijutsu blows to try and disable the two men.

Unfortunately the two older men quickly regained their balance and were able to fend the two women off, with Hinata receiving a kick to the stomach and Akane was punched in the stomach after dodging a blow from the clawed gauntlet.

Just as Natsuko landed she was the target of a wave of water launched by Gozu. Luckily she was pushed out of the way by her sister, who received a glancing blow from the spray and was thrown backwards into the nearby bridge guard.

"Akane!" Surprisingly it was Natsuko who screamed out to her, for the first time in years feeling fear for her sister.

She then went through a blur of hand signs and fired a barrage of dirt spikes at the two men, forcing them to dodge out of the way.

" _Earth Style: Falling Earth Spears_ "

Meizu however was unable to do so, his legs stuck to the ground with vines that had ripped their way out of the bridge. Since he could not dodge the Chunin had to block the attack, which severely dented his weapon and caused him to abandon it to retain hand movement.

"How in the hell did she do that vine trick, I've never heard of…" The Demon Brother muttered out before glancing in the direction of the girl's Sensei. "Genjutsu, damn bitch…"

Before he could warn his brother about the danger he had to shout out a warning about the injured Kunoichi who had snuck up on the man's blind spot.

"Gozu behind you!"

The man immediately dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding the Kenjutsu slash from Akane, but walking right into a series of Juken strikes from Hinata, who had cloaked herself with another Genjutsu.

Again Meizu charged forward, knocking the redhead back and creating a wall of water to separate Hinata from his brother, when a gust of wind hit the two from behind, throwing them off their feet and preventing any further follow up attacks.

" _Wind Style: Great Breakthrough_ "

Growling in annoyance the two men recovered and put a bit of distance between the three Genin.

"This is not how it was supposed to go brother, we need to remove one of them and then separate the other two."

"I agree the redhead is already injured, it should not take much to remove her permanently from this fight and from there the other two will be sitting ducks. The one is a Hyuga though, and wields Genjutsu so we must be careful."

The two Shinobi began a combination of hand signs together, and summoned a massive wave of water, launching it towards the three wide eyed Genin.

"Natsuko make the strongest barrier you can to give us time, then dodge backwards, we need to give it time to dissipate!" Hinata commanded, immediately seeing the Chakra flow due to her Byakugan.

The blonde immediately obeyed, creating a powerful earth wall in front of them while Hinata grabbed ahold of the still injured Akane to help her escape from the attack.

" _Earth Style: Mud Wall_ "

Just as they dodged back the wave slammed into the wall, cracking it and eventually causing it to cave under the pressure.

Luckily the defensive structure held long enough for the three Genin to escape the blast.

Then Gozu appeared behind Akane and Hinata, thrusting forward with his gauntlet towards Akane, but with the Byakugan still active Hinata was able to move his intended target out of the way and instead the Hyuga was stabbed in the shoulder with his poison tipped claws, causing her to cry out in pain. Luckily Akane's reaction was fast enough and she thrust down with her katana, impaling the man directly through his gauntlet and hand in the process.

Natsuko had been forced away from her two allies by the other brother when she saw the attack. Immediately after she activated her favorite Jutsu, creating a massive group of clones which descended onto her opponent while she went through a different series of hand signs without thinking. A second later several massive earth and stone spikes shot up from the ground, impaling the man who had injured her teammate, and taking his life.

" _Earth Style: Stone Column Spears_ "

"Brother! I'll kill carve you up you damn…"

Before he could finish three kunai impacted his back, followed by another two into his ankles, effectively stopping his advance and leaving him to bleed out on the ground.

 _***SooP***_

Kiba had never been in this much pain before everything hurt, including things he wasn't even aware could hurt. He and Sasuke had been covered in senbon.

The only saving grace had just occurred, with his teammate awakening his stupid Sharingan finally. Though it had helped to prevent further damage it hadn't allowed for any type of offensive and the damage had already been done to the two boys.

Now they were just waiting for the end, nearly huddled together as the supported each other while Sasuke attempted to hold off any further impacts while trying to figure out any kind of counter attack.

Just as another hail of needles came flying at them a shadow enveloped their sight as a dome of earth and rock surrounded them, completely repelling and stopping the attack.

" _Earth Style: Rock Shelter"_

"Wha-what is that what happened?" The Inuzuka questioned, but received only a surprised gaze from his partner

"KIBA STAY INSIDE THE DOME."

He recognized the voice of the ever excitable and joyful blonde Uzumaki, though it was surprisingly tense for her.

"Natsuko?" he muttered out, trying to push himself up to a sitting position and called out a bit louder.

"YOU ARE SAFE INSIDE STAY THERE"

Just like she said Kiba heard the faint pings of Senbon against the structure, almost sounding like rain drops against a tiled roof as they bounced off.

Finally the boy managed to prop himself up against one of the sides, before starting the slow, and painful, task of pulling needles out of his joints. As he did so he glanced up at the other occupant of the rock structure, Sasuke.

The boy was fuming, for what reason the Inuzuka would never know who would be angry at having their life saved?

"Sasuke chill out and sit down, it's a waiting game now, and apparently he can't get to us so it's only a matter of who runs out of Chakra first. If he does we smash his face in, if Natsuko does then we are back to square one."

The Uchiha merely growled back, before examining the structure that now enclosed them.

 _***SooP***_

'High swing, meant for decapitation, duck low and counter with punch to stomach.'

As Kakashi proceeded with his plan to gain an advantage in the stalemate he was seriously considering some training after they returned to Konoha, maybe get his team into some D-Rank missions for a few weeks while he worked on building up more stamina.

What was even worse was that he had made such a grave tactical mistake at the start of the fight, splitting up the Genin in the way he did while insisting on taking on Zabuza alone. He should have switched with Kurenai. Zabuza wouldn't have had as much experience against her and Ao seemed to be more of a sensor type than a direct combat Ninja, something that the Jonin could have exploited.

Zabuza managed to jump backwards just in time to avoid the attack before turning slightly and looking off into the mist, if the Hatake could have seen the man's face he swore that it would have been in the form of a sickening grin.

"It looks like your student is too prideful for his own good."

"What are you talking about now Zabuza?"

With a slight gesture Zabuza parted some of the mist, allowing the Sharingan wielding Jonin to glance over to where he directed, to see a sight that froze his blood.

Sasuke had somehow managed to break out of a protective earth dome and was currently riddled with senbon, and facing down the masked Hunter-Nin alone.

 _***SooP***_

Akane looked up as she saw the mist beginning to dissipate, and witnessed the Uchiha making another stupid mistake.

Sasuke had charged out to confront his opponent, who had luckily dropped the mirror Jutsu after realizing that it was merely burning Chakra.

Now the young prodigy was injured, alone, and facing off against a superior opponent.

With a quick flash of his hands the boy fell down to his knees, senbon sticking out of his joints and forcing him to fall.

With her enhanced hearing she could just make out their conversation.

"That was foolish of you, even with your Sharingan you are too injured to continue fighting. You were safe in that earth Jutsu why did you decide to leave it?"

"Screw you! An Uchiha does not run and cower, the only thing that can defeat a Uchiha is another Uchiha!" the injured boy loudly shouted back, yelling being the only thing he could accomplish at this point.

"If you are so confident that those eyes of yours will save you, then allow me to bring some humility into your life, and remove them."

With that the boy pulled out a pair of kunai, and began moving towards the helpless Ninja.

She saw Kakashi glance around hastily, trying to find a way to save the boy. But he was locked in combat, and attempting to exit it would undoubtedly free Zabuza to kill whomever he wanted.

Kurenai was in the same situation.

Hinata had been poisoned and was currently instructing Natsuko on how to administer anti-toxins.

Sakura was being useless.

Then his gaze fell on her, their eyes met and she could practically feel the pleading in them. She knew what he was asking her to do, begging her to do.

For a split second her eyes narrowed in hatred towards him, giving him something to muse over after the battle before she growled and picked herself off the ground. Pushing herself forward towards the two battling warriors, she set her mind to the task at hand, ignoring the bruised ribs she bore from her own fight.

 _***SooP***_

He was going to end this threat to Zabuza-Sama, he would be the man's tool as always before. Those damnable eyes are what were causing him so much trouble with his current opponent, so why allow this boy to grow up and eventually seek revenge?

No it would end here.

Maybe he wouldn't kill the boy, maybe he could just destroy his eyes and that would lead him to retire from the Shinobi business, after all he certainly wasn't suited for it. Not with his personality.

Haku hadn't noticed the young redhead moving full speed to intervene his vision had been tunneled onto his opponent just in case the Uchiha managed to throw out a last minute Jutsu.

As he thrust forward with the two Kunai, aiming low for the boy's face, he suddenly found his view obstructed by another person. His two weapons plunged into the girl's stomach, earning a gasp of pain.

His eyes, though hidden behind the mask, widened in shock as he looked at the face of the girl he had met the other day, her eyes boring back into his with intensity he had witnessed few times before in his young life.

"Wha…"

The words wouldn't form, why had she sacrificed herself for this boy? Surely he had never shown her kindness before, not this boy who cared only for himself and his own gains. Why would she protect him at the cost of herself?

Suddenly his extended arm was grabbed by the girl that now stood in front of her, looking up his eyes widened when she saw her slight grin.

"Gotcha, let's see your speed help you now."

A knee was smashed into the Hyoton user's stomach, it felt like being hit with a tree trunk instead of a girl's leg.

Gasping out the boy instinctively tried to pull his arm free, only to find the grip tightened to the point where he was sure it would leave bruises, assuming he survived to check.

Her free hand came down in a fist, slamming into his face, cracking the mask in the process, just before delivering an elbow strike to his chest in quick succession.

It was during these blows he had attempted to counterattack only to find his strikes pushed aside. At one point he tried to form hand signs, only to have her twist her torso, breaking at least one bone in his captured arm in response.

That was when Haku realized what had happened.

Overwhelming speed was only an advantage if you could dodge away from your opponent.

Superior agility could only be utilized with freedom of movement.

His Jutsu required him to be able to move, either into a mirror or away from any backlash that might be caused.

She had effectively denied him all of his advantages while emphasizing hers, raw strength and stamina.

He had failed.

A quick kick to the boy's knee snapped it and bent him over in pain, which was when an arm was quickly wrapped around his neck.

A cracking sound filled the air.

 _***SooP***_

Emotions previously suppressed worked their way through Zabuza's body as he watched the young boy, who he had secretly thought of as a son more than an apprentice, fall to the ground dead.

Letting out a roar of pure rage he charged forward, ignoring everything else with vengeance being the only thing he could see.

That was why he never heard, or perhaps his brain filtered out, the sound of a thousand birds chirping in behind him.

The last thing he would feel is the white hot energy tearing through his chest from behind.

 _***SooP***_

After Haku and Zabuza's death Ao had covered the area in smoke bombs and retreated from the battle, not being foolish enough to try and take down two experienced Jonin.

It was then that Gato had emerged with a large grouping of bandits, intending on backstabbing Zabuza and completing the task himself.

Fortunately he hadn't been counting on the entire town rallying together and trapping the bandits between two Jonin, and their own overwhelming numbers.

Gato and many of his men were killed in the ensuing battle.

 _***SooP***_

In the days following the Ninja from Konoha continued to rest and recover from their ordeals while the town went through some healing of its own.

Gato's resources had been discovered and distributed allowing for Wave to continue its road to recovery.

The bridge had been named after Inari's adoptive father Kaiza in memory of his courage and sacrifice.

Soon the two teams set off to return to their home. The two Jonin stood in the middle while team seven took point and team eight came up from behind.

Sasuke was busy brooding over his interrupted match and perceived failure, but had been happy with his activation of the Sharingan.

Kiba was training with Akamaru as they walked, determined to be of more help during any future confrontations.

Sakura was staring at Sasuke dreamily.

The two Jonin stayed mostly silent, observing the Genin and figuring out future training plans as well as the upcoming Chunin exams.

Natsuko had been able to cope with the lives she had taken with a bit of help and was back to her bright and cheerful self. She was busy talking to her two teammates.

Hinata had healed from the injury and poisoning and had gained even more confidence after being able to protect her friends in combat.

Akane's mental state had completely recovered and though she was still as quiet as ever, she no longer avoided eye contact or conversations as before.

Before long the walls of Konoha were in view, and the various Ninja looked forward to returning to some peace and quiet of their own village.

 _***SooP***_

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his lovely Mahogany desk in contemplation as he listened to Kakashi and Kurenai's reports on the missions.

The continuing escalation of the Wave mission was starting to become tedious, at the end they had decided on it being classified as A-Rank.

What was more disturbing though was the number of lives that Kurenai's team had taken during their two missions, and the young redhead's reaction to doing so.

"Hokage-Sama, with all due respect Kakashi-San and I have agreed that we need to inform the Uzumaki sisters about their… burden. We were lucky in that they hadn't tapped into their tenant's Chakra on the missions but if they had…."

"Plus the fact that Kurenai-San has a Hyuga on her team as well, we won't be able to hide that type of thing from her and it would be better to inform her before anything happens rather than after the fact."

"I agree with you both, we will inform them tomorrow after they have been given a day to rest."

"One more question Hokage-Sama, but I feel it should be asked in private." The Hokage nodded before signaling the ANBU to clear the room and gesturing the Jonin to continue. "How many people know about their lineage?"

The Third Hokage glanced over at the Kunoichi, who seemed rather peeved, before letting out a deep sigh.

"Everyone in this room is aware along with Anko, Jiraiya, and Tsunade."

"Wait since when does Anko know?" The Cyclopean Shinobi inquired.

"She was with me when I found out Kakashi-San, how the hell do you know?"

"Minato was my sensei. I was informed of the girl's birth following the attack."

"When are we going to tell them about that? You both know how important the information about their family is to them…"

"We cannot risk it, not yet. I understand that they are both mature enough to know but if the information were to get out… we could risk another Shinobi War."

Kurenai nodded at her leader's reasoning and turned to leave with Kakashi after they were excused.

"You do know that if they somehow find out on their own that they will never trust anyone from this village again correct?"

She let the question go unanswered as she left, leaving the two men to ponder her statement in silence.

 _***SooP***_

The following morning both Uzumaki sisters were summoned to the Hokage's office by their Sensei.

"Hey Jiji!" The happy blonde squealed as she ran to hug the older man.

"Hokage-Dono" Her sister merely bowed her head as a sign of respect.

"I have brought them as ordered Hokage-Sama."

"Ah thank you Kurenai, if you three would please have a seat we are merely waiting on a few more people before we begin."

Over the next few minutes Gai, Asuma, and Anko all arrived, and everyone sat down to await their final member.

A few minutes passed as the Natsuko happily hummed a tune to herself.

A few minutes turned into an hour as Kurenai realized who they were waiting on, and growled in annoyance.

"Can he be on time to anything!?"

Even the Hokage was becoming annoyed at this point. This wasn't some miscellaneous errand but a very important subject that the man had asked to be present for he could have at least had the decency to be early for it.

An hour following, and after several rather interesting suggestions on how to summon the cyclopean Jonin, Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke.

"Yo, sorry I'm late. An old woman was walking across the street so I had to take the long way around to avoid the bad luck that I might have found on the road of life."

The assembled Ninja just stared for a moment, as the hidden ANBU resisted the urge to face palm.

"Kakashi this was something you insisted on being present for, next time I would appreciate you at least being on time." The eldest man stated, glaring at the silver haired man in question.

"Of course Hokage-Sama."

"So Jiji what are we here for? Don't tell me we are in trouble again."

"Of course not Natsuko-Chan you are here because we need to discuss a rather serious topic with the two of you."

The few Jonin who had not been told already looked at each other nervously, wondering if the Hokage was going to reveal what they already believed he would.

"You two have probably read about the Kyuubi's attack fourteen years ago correct?"

The two nods confirmed this and the Hokage continued on, taking a deep breath to help him relax.

"Contrary to what you were taught the Fourth Hokage could not kill the creature, instead he had to seal it. With the technique he used it did indeed cost him his life but it also required two newborn's for vessels of the creature. I am sorry but he was forced to choose both of you for its containers. Each of you has half of the Nine Tailed Fox sealed inside of you."

There were many reactions that Sarutobi and the other Ninja expected from the two young girls. Anger, frustration, depression, and denial were just a few of them. What they hadn't been expecting though was the almost bored look from Akane and the happy giggle from Natsuko.

"What about it Jiji?"

The silence from the Shinobi and Kunoichi would have made the ANBU jealous.

"Y-you knew?" It was Kakashi who first stumbled out a response, having dropped his orange book in shock.

"Of course we did… we were contacted by it years ago." The redhead clarified, again looking somewhat bored at being told this again.

"Why didn't you ever tell anyone? It could be manipulating you!"

Again Akane stared back at the village leader before giving an answer that hurt more than a kunai to the chest.

"Who were we supposed to trust? So far everyone has let us down in one way or another. As far as we knew it was the reason we have been treated the way we were. So either you were unaware, in which case telling you might make more enemies, or you knew the entire time and didn't feel it important enough to tell us about. Since that is the case then it obviously wasn't important enough to tell you that we knew as well."

"Plus Kyuubi-chan is like super nice so it's no big deal."

"K-Kyuubi- _chan_?" Asuma echoed, unsure of how to take the idea of a fourteen year old girl calling one of the most powerful beings in existence 'chan'.

"Sure what else would I call her?"

"Natsuko the Kyuubi is very dangerous and manipulative you must be very careful around it. Undoubtedly it wants its freedom so that it can…"

"Nah Kyuubi-chan already told me that if I let her out I would die so she's happy with where she is."

Again the Sandaime thought he was having a heart attack at this information.

"Akane what do you think of…"

"That monster can burn in hell."

Kurenai stared at her student, who had gained a fire of rage in her eyes worthy of any Jonin.

"Okay… well we will be having team training today around eleven so meet at the usual training ground, and I would like you two to consider telling Hinata about your 'burden'."

The two sisters nodded before departing the now silent room.

As Anko and Kurenai stood up to leave the Jonin Sensei called out one more time.

"They have held this secret for this long with none of us being aware, and the reason we are not telling them the other part is…" at that the two Kunoichi left, earning some suspicious glances from Asuma and Gai.

***A/N***

So as per suggestions I am trying to balance the screen time of Natsuko and Akane a bit more, hope I did better this chapter at least.

I know a lot of people are probably going to be upset that I stuck with canon Haku, him being a boy, and then killed him. But he died in the manga as well. The Demon Brothers were upgraded in this version because they were supposed to be fairly decent originally as according to their stats they completed an A-Rank mission. Also I wanted to ensure that the characters weren't become too overpowered, Akane only beat Haku due to removing his speed, otherwise she wouldn't have won.

Next chapter will be some more team interactions and the mentioning of Chunin exams.

 **Pairings are still up for debate PM or comment with any suggestions!**

As always I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing.


	7. Assessments

**Sum of our Parts**

Assessments

I would like to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite, or followed.

***Too bad I don't own Naruto le sigh. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-Jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

"Hinata-chan we need to talk to you about something." Natsuko began as the three Genin convened later that day.

"Of course Natsuko-chan, what is it?"

"You probably have noticed that onee-chan and I aren't… the most popular people in the village right?"

"I have a few times… I didn't want to say anything that might upset either of you though…"

"It's okay Hinata, but I want to warn you that this is considered a pretty big secret, so you can't tell anyone alright? Sensei already knows but we don't know about anyone else."

"Of course Akane-chan, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to I understand."

"It's not that Hinata-chan we just aren't sure how you would react. If you want to switch teams after this we will understand though…"

To say Hinata was shocked was an understatement, she idolized the two Uzumaki sisters to the point that others would call it an obsession and they believe that a secret would cause her to abandon them?

"I would never do that Natsuko-chan, I promise."

The blonde smiled back, but it wasn't her normal radiant one, rather a more subdued natural smile that raised a question in Hinata's mind. Were all of the blonde girl's smiles fake for some reason?

"You probably know the story about the Kyuubi correct, about how the Yondaime killed it by sacrificing his own life?"

The pale eyed girl nodded in confirmation allowing the redhead to continue her revelation.

"Well that was actually a lie told to us back in the academy, the truth is that the Hokage could never kill a Biju, instead he had to seal it away into newborn children, the only two born that day."

Hinata's eyes widened as everything snapped into place, the names she had heard muttered by the other clansmen and villagers towards the two girls, the hateful glares, the warnings given to her about them when they became a team.

"He sealed it inside of you two…" she whispered out, causing the two girls in front of her to stare at the ground, as if in shame.

Suddenly Hinata rushed forward and pulled them both into a three way hug, squeezing them as hard as she could muster as if to symbolize that she would never let go of them.

"Y-you aren't scared of us Hinata-chan?"

"Of course not! Why would I have any reason to be afraid of you two? If anything you are heroes! You sacrificed your childhood to protect us without ever given a choice. I am just sorry that I couldn't have helped you out earlier in your lives. If I had known…"

"It's okay Hinata, just being here with us now is enough."

"So um… I know this is going to sound a bit odd but…."

"What is it Hinata-chan?"

"From what I know about sealing it takes a drawn symbol to activate it… where is… uh… yours?"

"Oh I'll show you." The blonde happily exclaimed before lifting up her shirt to expose her somewhat toned stomach, and forcing the seal to appear.

Hinata's face had turned bright red causing her to pass out from embarrassment immediately, as a bit of blood leaked from her nose.

 _***SooP***_

"The other Jonin and I have decided that it would be a good exercise for all of you to do some sparring and training with each other." Kurenai announced to the gathered Genin of Team's seven, eight, nine, and ten.

"Troublesome…"

Choji nodded in agreement while Ino and Sakura were busy glaring at each other.

Shino, Sasuke, and Akane were silent

Lee was shouting something about youth.

Neji was absent, like always.

Tenten was chatting amicably with Hinata and Natsuko.

"Well this is either going to improve everyone's abilities by leaps and bounds… or it is going to blow up in our faces." Asuma muttered at seeing the various interactions of their teams.

"HAHA NO NEED FOR SUCH UNYOUTHFUL BEHAVIOR ASUMA-SAN! WE SHALL TEST OUR STUDENTS AND FORM THE BONDS OF FELLOWSHIP AND COMPANIONSHIP THAT SHALL FOREVER CEMENT THEM TOGETHER!"

"YOSH GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"NONE OF THAT CRAP!" Anko suddenly shouted, while walking into the clearing.

"Anko-San what are you doing here?" Asuma inquired, being secretly happy that she had interrupted the inevitable _"Unbreakable Sunset"_ Genjutsu.

"Ah well I was in the area and Kurenai-chan asked me to come over and tormen… I mean train with your lovely students."

"A MOST EXCELENT IDEA ANKO-SAN YOU SHALL RAISE THEIR YOUTH TO EVEN HIGHER LEVELS!"

"Uh sure whatever… So I figure since I'm here and I don't get to help out very often that we could start by doing some Genin vs. me spars. I will be limited to Taijutsu and weapons only to make it a bit fairer of course."

"Not a bad idea, what do you think Kakashi?" Asuma inquired, as he glanced over at the silver haired Jonin who was currently deep into reading his orange book.

"Hm did you say something Gai?"

"CURSE YOU KAKASHI!"

"Actually I was the one who…."

"Moving on, I think it would be some good practice for them to spar against someone that they haven't before, alright Team seven you will be up first…"

"Actually Kakashi I had an idea for today's training, I was thinking that we should mix up and randomize the teams for today. After all just because they are grouped together like this as Genin does not mean they will be once they make Chunin."

"A GLORIOUS IDEA KURENAI! MAY YOUR YOUTHFUL WAYS REACH EVEN FURTHER INTO THE HEARTS OF OUR STUDENTS!"

 _***SooP***_

After doing some random picking, and ignoring the screams of protest from a certain pinkette, the teams were set and awaiting on their turn to fight the snake mistress.

"Now that you have each been assigned we will give you a short break to work on any strategies you might have and then proceed to the field for combat." Asuma explained, leaving the Genin to break off and discuss in private.

Ten minutes later and the teams were called back to formation.

"First up will be Sasuke, Tenten and Shino." Kurenai announced as the Genin took their places across from their Jonin sparring partner.

"Begin!"

Sasuke immediately charged forward, throwing a kunai, which was easily deflected, and engaging the purple haired woman in melee combat.

Shino just sighed. Their group meeting had only proven that the Uchiha wanted to be the best. Although his Kunoichi partner had silently agreed to let the boy do so and provide ranged support.

As soon as Anko gained an advantage over the Genin, which had only taken a minute, Tenten let a flurry of thrown projectiles loose, forcing the purple haired Jonin to dodge and abandon any hopes of eliminating the Uchiha too easily.

A split second later a host of Kikaichu bugs swarmed towards her from behind, again forcing the woman to dodge or else be attacked.

Changing the initiative the Jonin charged towards the two support users and forced them into close combat, while Sasuke launched a fireball at their position.

" _Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu"_

The Ninja were able to dodge out of the way just in time before the explosion took place, leaving all three slightly burned.

"Screw this crap I'm not fighting with some ass that uses his own teammates like that." Tenten shouted, before walking off the field, followed by Shino who silently agreed.

Kakashi just sighed in frustration and Sasuke tried to take on the Jonin alone, only to have his face pounded into the ground for damaging Anko's coat.

 _***SooP***_

"Well that could have gone better…" Kurenai muttered, sending a glare towards Kakashi before continuing to the next group. "Hinata, Natsuko, and Lee you three are next!"

"YOSH!"

Lee immediately took his position directly in front of their adversary, while Hinata stood slightly to the side and Natsuko was behind the two of them.

"Begin!"

Lee charged forward, launching a series of Taijutsu strikes to put the Jonin's focus on him, which worked as Hinata was able to flank the woman and almost land a few Juken strikes.

Luckily for Anko she had been able to use her strength to switch the boy's place with her own, forcing Hinata to cancel the strikes and catch Lee as he was thrown into her.

Before she could capitalize though a blast of wind hit and knocked her off balance.

" _Wind Release: Great Breakthrough"_

Skidding backwards Anko found herself under attack from several dozen Natsuko clones.

As she began dispersing them her eyes widened in shock as she felt a series of her tenketsu being sealed as one of the clones henge'd back into Hinata.

'Clever, I wonder what else they…'

But the Jonin was interrupted as several of the clones moved aside to reveal Lee who struck the Jonin in the face, launching her backwards.

After skidding to a halt Anko called an end to the fight, praising the three Genin and wanting to keep her energy up for the next two battles.

 _***SooP***_

"Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji step forward."

The three Shinobi did as they were told, and prepared to go up against the Jonin, who had taken a short break to unseal her tenketsu and apply a bit of healing ointment courtesy of Hinata.

"Alright then let's do this!"

"It's unlucky for you that we had so much time between our last mission, Akamaru and I have been training non-stop and now we have a new technique to show off!"

" _Man Beast Clone_ "

Immediately Akamaru turned into a replica of Kiba, with one jumping on top of the other before they began twisting in tornado like fashions, charging towards the Jonin.

" _Fang over Fang"_

"Not bad kid but not good enough."

The confident woman declared as she charged forward and then leapt over the pair at the last second, only to be ambushed by an enlarged, rolling Akimichi.

" _Human Boulder"_

The Jonin barely had time to dodge before being hounded again by Kiba and his companion, this time after she dodged the initial attack she followed up, kicking one of them, revealed to be Kiba, and launching him far enough away to buy more time against her other two opponents.

Seconds later she jumped over another attempt by Choji and landed nearby, before pulling out a series of kunai, preparing to capitalize on the boy's mistake.

Only to find herself paralyzed while standing.

" _Shadow Possession Jutsu"_

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the final member of the trio having caught her unaware in his Nara technique.

Growling she could only watch as the other two prepared to attack full force at the now frozen woman, before Asuma called a halt to the battle.

"Not bad you three, but Shikamaru is most likely unaware that if the techniques had thrown her backwards he would have been as well. This would not have taken Anko out of the fight but would have undoubtedly reduced Shikamaru considerably."

The three Genin nodded while Anko breathed a sigh of relief, not looking forward to being rolled over by the largest of the three in sphere form.

"Interesting… it would appear that Kiba's technique cannot make rapid changes in direction or speed once it hits maximum, perhaps because he is too disoriented to do so?" Akane muttered out, just loud enough for her teammates to hear her.

 _***SooP***_

"The last team up will be…" Kurenai let out a sigh, knowing that this group would not be earning her any points with the young redhead. "Akane, Ino, and Sakura."

The three Kunoichi stepped forward, with Sakura and Ino silently glaring at each other and the Uzumaki wishing she could just act like Shikamaru for once and forfeit.

"This is a troublesome team, Ino and Sakura have always had problems getting along ever since the academy and it is no secret that Akane doesn't really fit in with anyone besides her team." the Nara mumbled as he sat on the ground, winded from holding an experienced Jonin in place even for the short time he did.

"I'll show you Ino-pig, watch and learn what a real Kunoichi can do!" The pinkette declared, charging forward towards Anko, and promptly being knocked to the side with a kick from the bored looking Jonin.

"Ha! You suck forehead! How will you ever manage to win over Sasuke-kun with moves like that? Let me show you how it is really done."

The blonde promptly launched a few kunai at the snake mistress, who deflected them and then promptly charged forward, grabbing the girl by the hair and throwing her into her fallen 'teammate'.

"This is pathetic… seriously Kakashi and Asuma what the hell have you been teaching these two?" Anko griped, while shooting a glare at the two Jonin Sensei.

Asuma as least had the decency to avoid her gaze and stare at the ground, Kakashi had already taken out his dirty book.

"Well maybe the gaki can…."

Her thoughts were cut short as she deflected a kunai aimed at her face, and immediately had to block a kick from behind from Akane.

Grabbing the young girl's leg Anko prepared to toss her around as she had Ino, but was forced to abandon this when the Uzumaki struck out with a kunai at her arm.

Growling Anko charged the girl and kicked her backwards against a tree, before the other two Kunoichi tried a rather crappy attempt at a dual flanking maneuver, only to get in each other's way and do more harm to themselves than their opponent.

However it did manage to buy the redhead a few seconds to sprint forward and aim a stab at the woman's throat, preventing her from doing any further damage to the two girls.

As the three Genin recovered an argument again broke out between the two 'rivals' forcing Kurenai to call an end to the spar before a fight broke out.

 _***SooP***_

"I am sure you are all aware that the Chunin exams are coming up in a little over a month, and this year they are being hosted at Konoha. I wish to know who here is nominating their team for entrance and potential promotions." The Hokage called out to the group of assembled Jonin.

'Gai might nominate his but I doubt anyone else will, they have barely been Genin for a few months for crying out loud. Heck Asuma's team hasn't even had their first C-Rank mission yet!' Kurenai pondered as she glanced around as a few of the older Jonin nominated their Genin teams for promotion.

"I nominate Team ten for the Chunin exams." The younger Sarutobi called out, earning a shocked expression from the Kunoichi.

'What the hell is he thinking!?'

"I nominate Team nine for the Chunin exams, THEIR YOUTH SHALL BURN EVEN BRIGHTER STILL!"

'Okay maybe I understand Gai but…'

"I nominate Team seven for the Chunin exams."

'Is Kakashi joking? Sakura is far from ready, and the Uchiha's teamwork is a joke at best does he really think they will get by on academy skills?'

The eldest Shinobi's gaze fell on the Jonin leader of Team eight next. "Well Kurenai? What about your team?"

"I do not nominate them Hokage-Sama."

"Kurenai are you serious? Your team has shown pretty good teamwork and skills overall, do you not trust them to pass?"

"I do think that they would pass as a team Asuma-san, but the exam isn't only about teamwork. They have the skills for it but not the mentality yet. True they can work with each other just fine but with anyone else Hinata would immediately go back to her shy ways while Akane still has severe trust issues. The fact of the matter is that they need to open up and grow more as Kunoichi before they are ready to be paired up with new teams and more difficult missions."

"Are you sure about your stance on this Kurenai?" The elder Sarutobi questioned, as clasped his hands together on his desk.

"Quite sure Hokage-Sama, perhaps next Chunin exam when they have interacted more with the others, I am not sure individually any of them would be able to pass anyway. Why risk their confidence on a maybe when they can take another year to train and be that much more ready?"

"I understand and respect your position Kurenai," The Jonin breathed a sigh of relief, for some reason she expected more resistance from the leader of their village. "Unfortunately I must overrule you on this matter."

"W-what?"

"I will be nominating Team eight for you, with all of their other classmates and training partners being nominated I feel it is a good experience to help them grow and learn, including being exposed to what it means to be a true Ninja."

"B-but Hokage-Sama, why…" She stopped, the true reason for his insistence immediately became clear to her and she tried her best to stifle the growl of anger that threatened to emerge from her throat. "You are trying to scare the other villagers with the Uzumaki sisters."

It was so obvious that it felt insulting to the Kunoichi, and the Hokage had the decency to find the top of his desk far more interesting in that moment than the enraged Jonin in front of him. The man had received the reports of Akane's brutality on their first mission, and knew of Natsuko's apparent partnership with the Kyuubi, he was going to use these to show off the strength of Konoha to the other villages that attended and help to thin out the opposition. Sure it was one of the main reasons for the Chunin exams, which was why killing was allowed, but to throw her students into the fray without her consent just to do so was… appalling to say the least.

"Very well _Hokage-Dono_ , I will inform _my_ team of your recommendation today." The woman put the emphasis where it was needed, taking a play from Akane's book on overemphasizing respect. She had learned early on that the more the young redhead trusted someone the less formality she would use when addressing them.

The statement was not lost on the elderly man.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright team The Hokage has deemed you ready to take the Chunin exams if you wish to participate, bear in mind that this is not the only opportunity you will have to take the exam, nor is it the only way to be promoted. Also this exam includes a large group of Konoha Genin as well as Genin from multiple other villages. There will be combat and killing is permitted. I know that all of you have made at least one kill but you will find that the difference between killing a bandit or a Missing-Nin is far different than killing someone your age."

"Do you think we can succeed Kurenai-Sensei?" The Hyuga girl inquired, looking up at her teacher to judge the older woman's confidence in them.

Giving out a slight sigh the Jonin evaluated how this conversation would go before settling on the truth.

"Yes I do, you have the teamwork and the individual skills to survive the exam, but becoming a Chunin isn't just about passing. The final promotion is up to the council and whether they deem you fit to move onto the next stage of your Ninja career. Just because you don't succeed doesn't mean that you will not be promoted, and just because you do come out on top doesn't mean they will give you the increase in rank."

"Do you think we are fit to be Chunin though?" This time it was Akane who asked, staring the woman in the eyes.

"As you are now no, I know that none of you want to hear that but I believe that the teamwork and group skills you are building now haven't reached their apex yet. Give it another year of working together and I have little doubt you will that you will all three be ready but being a Chunin is more than just knowing Jutsu or being stronger and faster than your opponent. It is being able to adapt to the new situations, the new teammates, and the new adversaries that you will encounter. I don't think any of you have the experience necessary for this yet."

Natsuko looked downtrodden for a minute before perking back up with a new determination in her eyes.

"I say we take the test anyway! Even if we don't make it this will be exactly what we need to see how the other teams perform, this will be how we compare ourselves to not only the other Konoha Genin but the other villages!"

The other two nodded in agreement before taking the permission slips from their teacher and signing them.

"If that is what you have decided, then we have a lot of work to do. I already warned Anko about this and her only response was that if you did decide to accept the offer then she would help your training which she has affectionately entitled 'Hell Month'."

The three teenagers shivered a bit at that statement.

 _***SooP***_

"Oh man this is gonna be so awesome right you guys?" Kiba happily exclaimed as Team seven walked towards where their Sensei had informed them that the exam would be held.

"Hn"

"You're so cool Sasuke-kun, you are sure to make Chunin I just hope that Kiba and I can be promoted with you."

"Sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself in this team…."

"You say something Kiba?"

"I hate you all so much."

Suddenly the three were interrupted by shouting around a nearby corner, as they went to investigate they saw the Konohamaru, along with his gang of friends, being threatened by a strange looking boy in black clothing and weird makeup on his face.

"Hey leave him alone you bully!" Sakura shouted out, drawing attention to their team.

"Oh and why should I? The kid ran into me and needs to be taught a lesson on how to act to ones superiors."

"Then perhaps you should learn how to act towards yours, after all the Uchiha are superior to all Ninja clans."

"In your dreams… pompous ass" Kiba muttered, which Sasuke ignored.

"Kankuro let the kid go, you are drawing too much attention to us and we are in their village not ours."

"I told you Temari, the kid needs to be taught a lesson."

"You should listen to your sister makeup boy, you are threatening the Third Hokage's grandson after all." Kiba taunted, earning an angry glare from his new adversary.

"IT'S WARPAINT YOU ASS!"

"Sure looks a lot more like makeup to me, also with all your shouting you seemed to have drawn some unwanted attention." The Kunoichi pointed motioned behind the two Suna Ninja at the fact that Team eight had also come to investigate the scene.

"Oh look more children playing Ninja, maybe I'll just show all of you what it means to come from a real Hidden Village!"

But before the boy could do anything a redhead appeared in the clearing from a swirl of sand.

"Kankuro enough let the boy go."

"B-but Gaara…"

"I said enough don't make me kill you…"

The painted boy paled and immediately released the small child, who ran behind Kiba for protection.

The redhead turned towards Sasuke, and had a silent showdown with the Uchiha before turning back to his siblings.

"We are leaving."

"Y-yeah of course Gaara."

As the three left the area Sakura released the breath she wasn't aware that she had been holding during the confrontation and relaxed, meanwhile Natsuko had a concerned look on her face.

"Onee-chan, that redheaded boy…. He's like us…"

 _***SooP***_

"You, Sasuke Uchiha, fight me!" a loud challenge roared through the hallway of the exam building as Teams seven and eight made their way to the meeting room.

Turning to his challenger Sasuke and his team looked upon the horror that was Rock Lee's outfit.

"Once I defeat you Sasuke, your beautiful pink haired teammate will go out on a date with me and I will woo her! Then we shall fall in love and marry and live happily forever!"

"Uhhh…. No chance in hell…."

The spandex clad boy's "flames of youth" seemed to die a bit at her refusal before he picked himself back up and declared his challenge once more, which the confident Uchiha accepted.

As the two began their, very one sided, match the other members of Team nine arrived.

Tenten immediately went over to greet her training partners and newfound friends in Team eight. While Neji just stood a ways off he began glaring at Hinata, who promptly returned it, starting an unspoken death match between the two.

A few moments later and Sasuke found himself wrapped in cloth, with only the arrival of Gai to stop the attack from continuing, while berating Lee for showing off secret techniques.

"Ah Akane-chan, Natsuko-chan, and Hinata-chan I am glad to see you all accepted the challenge of the exams!" The Jonin happily spoke out, his voice echoing even farther than his student's.

"Heck yeah Gai-Sensei we wouldn't miss a chance like this!"

"Indeed, although it appears that the Genin of Konoha are already starting off with a rocky start." The redhead added in, earning nods from the calmer members of the various teams.

"Well you all should get going to the exam room or you will be disqualified for being late! MAKE SURE THAT THE FLAMES OF YOUR YOUTH BURN EVER BRIGHTER!" The man declared before jumping through a nearby window with a ' _dramatic exit'_.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright we made it to the Chunin exams!" Natsuko happily exclaimed as Team eight walked into the auditorium-like room.

"There are a lot of people here…" Hinata muttered out, a bit intimidated by the sheer number of Genin that would be participating.

"Indeed, I wonder how many will actually make it through the exam though." The final member added.

"Don't you worry about them Team seven are all going to be passing this with flying colors!" Kiba boasted, as the noticed a few of the other Konoha teams making their way over to them.

"Sasuke-kun you made it! Unfortunately you did too forehead."

"Watch it Ino pig! Pretty soon we will be leaving you behind when we are promoted to Chunin!"

"Hey you guys shouldn't be so loud you are drawing attention to yourselves." A pale looking older boy warned as he walked up.

"Who are you?" the Inuzuka inquired, while Akane and Natsuko appeared to be on edge immediately.

"Oh no worries I am a member of Konoha too, we have to stick together right? My name is Kabuto and I have some information you might be interested in. I have these Nin cards that can tell me information on anyone I choose."

"Do you have anything on Gaara of Suna and Lee of Konoha?" Sasuke inquired, remembering his defeat a short time ago at the hands of the green clad boy.

As Kabuto began muttering off statistics one of the Ninja from Otogakure came up and punched the man in the face, forcing him to fall over and throw up immediately after.

"You shouldn't take us so lightly leaf trash, all of the Ninja from Otogakure are going to pass this exam and you can bet on that."

A moment later the proctor appeared, a man by the name of Ibiki and immediately warned that any further fights would lead to disqualification.

No one noticed that when Natsuko went over to help Kabuto back up that Akane slipped one of the cards into her sleeve.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright maggots listen up because I am only explaining this once. My name is Ibiki Morino and I am going to be the proctor for the first part of the Chunin exam. Your first task is so simple that even you morons who keep taking and failing should be able to pass this portion. Each team will receive a map, your job is to analyze it and make your way to the destination. You have two hours to do so, if you aren't there in time you fail. But since we have so many participants we have decided to make this a bit harder on you. I have handpicked a group of Chunin to be on the lookout and hunt for you and your teams, if they find and capture any member the entire team fails, if you reach the destination without a map then your team fails, if you reach the destination without all three members your team fails. So get your asses up here… and let the games begin."

***A/N***

For the random teams at the start I did not actually plan these, I used a website and assigned each Genin a number to pair them up… I felt so bad for Akane after doing so….

As for the exams themselves I wanted to change it up a bit, because I doubt anyone wants to read about the written exam version again so hopefully this will be a bit more interesting.

 **Although the pairings won't be happening until the time skip, if anyone has suggestions for them I am still undecided concerning them.**

As always I hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I did writing.


	8. Trial by Shadow

**Sum of our Parts**

Trial by Shadow

Thanks to all those who read and respond to my stories!

***If I owned Naruto I would be sitting on a beach somewhere, relaxing. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-Jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

"Man this is so troublesome." The genius Nara complained, as his team began making their way through the streets of Konoha towards their destination.

"Could we at least stop and get something to…."

"I swear to Kami Choji, if you ask to get food one more time during this portion of the exam I will personally take over the bodies of every restaurant owner in Konoha and deny you entrance!"

"That's a bit harsh Ino" The bug user stoically called out, as his Akimichi teammate began silently crying at the thought of the blonde's punishment.

"Yeah well we are trying to become Chunin here, it's about time we started acting like real Ninja!"

"You just say that because Sakura is on Sasuke's team and you want to show off." Shikamaru correctly assumed, earning a somewhat shocked expression from the girl.

"Hey Shikamaru, why aren't we just going on the rooftops like those other teams, I thought we had a time limit"

"Man this test is way too troublesome, if we go on the rooftops then we will be spotted way easier by the proctors. This isn't about getting to the objective first, it's about showing that we can be stealthy and avoid potential enemies."

"Impressive analysis Shikamaru, undoubtedly we will be targeted far more due to our numbers as well. I am glad that both you and Ino are so proficient in seeing through Genjutsu though, otherwise we might have been headed towards the other side of the village right now."

"Yeah what Shino said. We have to show that we are the best no matter what, and if that means 'suggesting' some targets for the proctors then well… all is fair in love and war after all." The Yamanaka grinned evilly at her last statement, making the other's shiver a bit in fear.

 _***SooP***_

Teams seven, on the other hand, had already encountered one of the examiners and were currently being pursued by him.

"DAMNIT KIBA WHY COULDN'T YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!?" the Kunoichi shouted, as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop, trying to put some distance between them and their pursuer.

"Hey it isn't my fault! I just wanted to point out that he looked a bit too old to be doing a Chunin, especially one that was involved with testing children. How was I supposed to know the guy would take offense to it?"

"Once we get to the objective I swear I am going to beat you!"

"Would you both shut up for a minute so that we might actually be able to lose our tail for longer than three seconds?" The Uchiha growled out, as the pursuer once again found them due to his their shouting.

"Of course, anything for you Sasuke-kun." Sakura practically had hearts floating above her head as she moved a bit closer to the black haired boy.

'This is pathetic… hopefully the rest of the exam is individually based so that at least Sasuke and I can pass.'

"Get back here you brats!"

The three grumbled before following Sasuke's lead into a nearby ally, where they ambushed the Chunin and knocked him out, allowing them to continue unhindered towards the objective.

 _***SooP***_

"This sneaking around is most unyouthful Tenten-chan." Lee whined as Team ten snuck through the side streets of Konoha.

"I agree, Hyuga do not run and hide."

"Would you both shut the hell up! I am not failing this exam because of your dumbass pride or your dumbass flames of youth. We are not going to risk running around like a bunch of freaking idiots especially since one of you sticks out like Sensei in a mime commercial."

The other two stared at the girl for a moment before shrugging and following her lead, neither wanting to invoke the Kunoichi's wrath and be used as "target practice".

Suddenly the team heard the sound of a person landing on the roof above them. Fearing the worst Tenten grabbed her teammates and shoved them into a nearby manhole, leading down into the sewers.

"Tenten-chan…. Do I even need to say it?"

"Yeah yeah it's unyouthful I heard you the first fifteen times, now start walking, I would rather not take any more time down here than necessary."

"I believe I would rather just fight the Chunin than go through this sewer."

"For once I agree with Neji-san."

"Oh? Well I agree with the logic of 'SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET WALKING'!"

 _***SooP***_

As the Suna team continued towards their destination they noticed a great deal of Genin headed in various directions through the village, some even stopping to attack others, thinking that they needed more than one map to pass.

Not for the first time today was Kankuro happy to be brothers with Gaara, as many of the other teams seemed to shy away from the redhead boy in fear.

The first time had been when they were spotted by a Chunin proctor early on.

Needless to say the man was currently in the process of being escorted to the hospital, after all nothing mentioned that they couldn't attack the proctors that were attempting to take their map.

The only thing that worried him, and Temari too by the expression on her face, was that they would be figured out before the invasion could commence. If that were to occur he wasn't sure if Gaara could protect them while in the middle of an enemy village, cut off from reinforcements.

He also wasn't sure if Gaara _would_ protect them.

 _***SooP***_

As Ibiki stood at the destination point, a small building at the edge of town, he wondered how many teams would actually make it through the test. He had already received word that over a dozen teams had either lost their maps or a teammate by Chunin and the time on the exam was already running out.

He looked up just in time to see the Suna team walk in, looking unhampered and relaxed.

He frowned in annoyance, none of them were supposed to be looking okay after being chased around the village.

A few minutes later and the only group of four Genin also walked in, looking slightly worse for wear but otherwise unharmed.

Ten minutes after that Teams seven and ten appeared. The first of which was bruised and slightly bloodied, the second stank like a sewer. This earned a grin from the fellow Konoha team.

"Whooo damn forehead you look like you went through ten rounds with a wild animal… did you and Kiba finally settle your differences and make out?"

"HEY!"

"Troublesome…"

"Hn"

"Oh yeah pig!? Just because we have one less teammate than you doesn't mean we are any worse than your team. ALSO I DID NOT MAKE OUT WITH KIBA!"

"So does that mean you made out with Sasuke instead?" Shino spoke, capitalizing on the fact that she specifically mentioned Kiba.

The two girls' jaws dropped before Sakura developed a smirk.

"Maybe I did, what do you think about that Ino pig?"

"I think that there isn't a person in Konoha that would believe you."

Just as their argument was about to escalate further Team seven walked in, also perfectly fine and calm.

"How the hell are you three so relaxed?"

Natsuko turned to the three Konoha teams before giggling, "Hinata-chan is awesome with Genjutsu."

The three Kunoichi's jaws dropped, before muttering about unfair advantages and natural Genjutsu specialists.

Ibiki just smirked. Using Genjutsu to cloak her entire team from Chunin level opponents was quite impressive of them, but to be honest he was far more impressed with those who had taken the hard way through, especially Gai's team who had gone through such lengths to avoid being spotted even once.

As several other teams began shuffling in the lead proctor took count of the number of Ninja villages and the teams they sent.

Konoha had eight teams still in the running, Suna had three, three from Ame, one from Taki, six from Kumo, five still from Iwa, and finally three that were of Kiri.

Ibiki scowled in an annoyed manner, this many were not supposed to have passed the first stage, maybe he was getting soft?

"Alright well the time is up so everyone here is allowed to take the final portion of the first exam. Each team will be given a task, if you complete it you will be allowed through, if you decide not to take it though you fail immediately."

"That's dumb why would we decide not to try then?" A random Kumo Genin responded.

"Because if you take the task, and fail…. You will be prohibited from _ever_ becoming a Chunin."

"That's total crap! I've been in these exams before and that was never a rule!" This time it was a Konoha Ninja who voiced their opinion.

"Well I guess it's just bad luck that you got me as your proctor then huh?"

Several Ninja slowly stood and left, apologizing to their teams for taking them along as well.

When the numbers started to dwindle down Ibiki glanced over at the cheerful blonde from Team eight before trying his luck.

"So you are confident that you won't fail eh, so sure of yourself that you would risk not only your career but your team's as well?"

"Nah we won't fail, onee-chan is awesome and Hinata-chan is super cool. Besides we are Ninja, it wouldn't be much fun if every mission wasn't fail or succeed right?"

The scarred man opened his eyes wide at such a proclamation that seemed to strengthen the resolve of the others present.

"Well then, for your final task you must walk through that door." The man pointed towards the back of the building, which lead to curious glances as the teams did so, albeit a bit hesitantly for some.

After passing through Ibiki followed and closed the door behind them.

"Congratulations you pass!"

"Wh-wha?"

"The final portion was a test of resolve, every mission you go on could turn into a life or death situation, only those who are willing to put everything on the line for their countries and their teammates are fit to become true Ninja. The rest are just worthless. Now then the proctor for the second exam should be…"

Suddenly the nearby ground exploded in smoke as a woman wearing a long trench coat appeared underneath a banner which read 'INTRODUCING ANKO MITARASHI THE AMAZING, SEXY, INCREDIBLE, STUPENDOUS, HOT, LETHAL, POWERFUL…' the banner continued on, praising the woman who stood below with a large grin on her face.

"Did you really need that much of an entrance Anko?"

"Aw come on Ibiki, what fun is it if I just walk in like some boring asshole?"

"I just walked into the exam you know…."

"And that's why I am wayyyy better at interrogation than you."

"If the statistics are what I remember them being then…"

"Jeesh Ibiki you let twenty two teams pass!? What getting soft on me now are you? I mean sure there will only be half that number when I am done with them but holy cow I would've thought that…. GAKIS!" The Jonin proclaimed, quickly changing the subject.

The woman happily ran over to her favorite team, and earned an ecstatic hug from the young blonde, while many of the men looked on in envy.

"Ahem, Anko perhaps you should explain your portion of the exam?"

"Alright fine fine. Listen up everybody cause this part is where most of will probably die in horrific awful fashion. The next portion of the Chunin exams takes place behind me in this fenced in area, which we have nicknamed 'The Forest of Death'. Each time will be given a scroll, either labeled 'Heaven' or 'Earth'. In order to proceed to the next phase you must acquire one of each scroll and make it to the tower at the other end, you have five days to complete this. But before you go in I am required to have all of you sign a waiver, just in case you should be eaten by one of the horrible creatures in the forest or what not." The woman casually explained, while several of the Genin paled at her explanation.

After gesturing towards the handout booth the snake Jonin returned to her favorite team.

"Anko-nee-chan, why did you start training the other boy? I thought we were your favorites?" The blonde spoke out sadly, as tears began to threatening her eyes.

"W-what do you mean? I would never train anyone else! You three know you're my favorites!" The Kunoichi quickly defended herself, trying to stop the pull at her heart at seeing the normally energetic blonde in distress.

"Th-then why does that white haired boy with glasses smell like you do?" the young Uzumaki continued.

This statement froze Anko, but only for a split second before she smiled and crouched down to comfort the young girl.

"Don't you three worry about him, you are my prides and joy you know that."

"R-really?"

"Of course Natsuko-chan, now hurry up and get your scrolls, you don't want to be late for the next portion."

During the entire conversation Hinata looked at her two teammates with a puzzled expression, which Akane subtly signaled that they would explain later.

 _***SooP***_

After the teams had received their scrolls, and lined up at the pre chosen gates, Anko began the countdown.

"Ten"

"Nine"

"Eight"

"Six"

"Uh Anko I think you skipped 'seven'?" Ibiki muttered out

"No I didn't… it knows what it did…"

"Five"

"Four"

"Three"

"Two"

"One….."

The various teams crouched down into runner positions, ready for the inevitable bell or explosion or whatever would signal for the next portion

"Eh go"

The Genin almost face palmed at the nonchalance at which the gates opened and the next stage began, before sprinting off into the forest.

 _***SooP***_

"WE MUST FIND AN SCROLL OF HEAVEN SO THAT WE MAY COMPLETE THIS PORTION OF THE EXAM AND SHOW THE TRUE EXTENT OF OUR YOUTH!" Lee loudly shouted, before being punched in the head by an irritated Tenten.

"Seriously did no one teach you the concept of stealth during the academy, like at all?"

"I do not think that he would understand the concept of silence if it smacked him in the face."

"UNTRUE NEJI-SAN I SHALL SHOW YOU THE TRUE YOUTHFULNESS OF SILENCE, AND IF I CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THIS THEN I SHALL RUN ONE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA USING ONLY MY FINGERTIPS AND IF I CANNOT…"

"You guy's should really learn not to have such loud conversations, especially when enemy Ninja are in the area." A voice called out from behind Team nine as a group of three Kumo Shinobi stepped out from the nearby tree line.

"See I told you we should have kept moving, rather than standing in such an open area."

"Be quiet, would you rather have Lee running around shouting through the entire forest?"

"I guess not, you don't have to be such an ass though…"

"Excuse me but I do not think you understand the gravity of the situation you are currently in. We had been hoping to run into a Hyuga and it looks as though we found one of the only two currently in the exam, even better as you look free of that annoying seal your clan uses."

"Indeed I am of the Main Branch, unfortunately for you though we have been… expecting you."

"Wait… what?" The Cloud Ninja replied in confusion, just before the Kunoichi and Hyuga disappeared, obviously Bunshin, while the green clad boy charged forward at a remarkable speed.

One of the Kumo Genin's companions immediately moved to intercept, but before he could a series of Kunai flew from a nearby tree. Two struck him in his right arm while a third was now embedded in his leg, forcing him down the ground.

Next his other companion fell, a cry of pain escaping from his lips as a series of Juken strikes brought him down without effort.

Spinning around the Kumo leader began to weave through a series of hand signs, intending on frying the Hyuga bastard, despite their orders to take one alive back with them.

Unfortunately he had forgotten that about the original green blur, and was promptly dropped to the ground from a leg sweep before a powerful raised axe kick knocked him out.

"Well that worked well, glad we decided to use Lee's obliviousness to our advantage and lure out a team that would need our scroll." Tenten chirped happily, while taking the, now defeated, team's possession.

"Indeed, I hate to admit that it was your plan but I suppose congratulations are in order."

"That wasn't nice Tenten-chan… how could you use your fellow Konoha Shinobi, WHO IS SO FULL OF THE YOUTHFUL SPIRIT, as a lure for our enemies?"

"Oh I didn't use you at all Lee, I just let you be your normal charming obnoxious self and then allowed whoever may be in the area to come to us. Rest assured though that we can now proceed towards the tower without having to worry about this."

"The only thing that concerns me is that they seemed to be specifically targeting Hyuga…" Neji muttered out, remembering that Kumo was the one who attempted the kidnapping when he was younger.

"Your right, we should try and find Team eight and warn them…"

"Do not concern yourself with that trash. They would have no use for a Branch member anyways. She is sealed and thus cannot be used for creating the Hyuga bloodline back in their village."

"But there are still more Kumo teams out there… what if they gang up on them and just kill them instead?"

"Then that is one less team for us to compete with."

"YOU ARE MOST UNYOUTHFUL NEJI-SAN!"

"Lee is right, to hell with what you think, if we run into them I will be warning them and any other Konoha team. Just because we are competing doesn't mean that they are our enemies, especially since we are all fighting for Konoha."

 _***SooP***_

"So Mr. Genius what is the plan now?" Ino asked as sarcastically as possible.

"Do I have to come up with _every_ plan? Man what a drag… alright well I guess we should head towards the tower, if everyone else is as well then we should be able to spot another team before they spot us, especially with our numbers. If not then we will camp out a distance away and lay down some traps since we know what the end destination is it should be pretty easy."

"That was a very astute analysis Shikamaru. I am curious though if there are any teams we should try and avoid or hope to come into contact with."

Between mouthfuls of chips Choji managed a mutter out a response, "I say we try and meetup with a couple other Konoha teams, since we are so outnumbered."

The others practically came to a halt to stare at the large boy wide eyed.

"That was…. A very good suggestion Choji, normally your tactical analysis isn't nearly that high." The Nara complimented, earning a blush from the boy.

"Yeah well I just so happen to know that Natsuko tends to keep a large stock of Ramen on hand at any given moment…."

The others sweat dropped at this, of course it would have something to do with food.

"I believe that Team eight is also the most viable traveling companions we could run into." Shino nodded in agreement with his other Shinobi teammate.

"Oh? That wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that they are all girls that you two might just so happen to find cute would it?" the blonde teased.

"Of course not, the fact of the matter is that they seemed to be the most diversely trained of any Konoha team." The bug user replied.

"That and Akane scares the hell out of me." Choji muttered, earning a few hesitant nods in agreement.

 _***SooP***_

Team eight was busy bounding through the trees, with Hinata in front. She made a slight gesture and the three Kunoichi came to a stop on a larger branch nearby.

"There is no one within a thousand feet of us." The Hyuga announced, earning a slight breath of relief from the blonde and a nod from her sister.

"You probably would like clued in on what our conversation to Anko was about correct?"

The nod confirmed Akane's suspicion.

"Oh that's simple Hinata-chan, Anko-nee-chan always told us that if we ever ran into someone who smelled like her to inform her immediately, and that they were likely bad people."

"Smelled like her?" Hinata had always been aware that the two Uzumaki's had heightened senses, primarily hearing and scent, but she didn't know what Anko could smell like besides maybe dango or sake.

"That white haired Konoha Ninja smelled like snakes." The redhead clarified.

"That's why I told Anko-nee-chan, she said to do it discreetly so that they wouldn't know."

"Oh…. Well I am not sure exactly what that means but I am glad that you told her if it was important. So what is the plan now?"

"Well I figure that we need to find an opposing team, get their scroll, and then head towards the target point as soon as possible. The longer we are out here the more chances there are of us running into opposing villages teams, and if they start working together it will become dangerous very quickly."

"What if we find another Konoha team one-chan?"

"That would work Natsuko assuming that they are trustworthy. Remember right now it is each team for themselves."

Suddenly Hinata's head turned to the side, staring off towards the left.

"We have company."

"Any idea who Hinata?"

"It isn't anyone from Konoha that I can say for certain."

"So what's the plan Hinata-chan?"

The pale eyed girl paused for a moment, before a plan formed in her head.

 _***SooP***_

The Kiri Ninja reached the clearing where they had last sensed an enemy team and glanced around nervously.

They had been able to sense them up until a few minutes prior and now the Ninja were nowhere to be found, which put them all on edge and wary of possible traps.

"Spread out, find them, and eliminate them." The implied leader growled out, as he leapt onto a nearby branch.

The other two members nodded in agreement before beginning their own search, the larger of the two searching the left half of the field while the Kunoichi checked the right half.

As the leader began leaping through the trees, he stopped when he spotted a poorly concealed Kunai trap. Chuckling, he easily disarmed the device before taking the Kunai, and immediately recognized it as being from Konoha. The experienced Genin turned to pass on this information to his team, but never got a sound out as a shadow dropped behind him silently before placing her hand over his mouth and stabbing him through his neck with a kunai.

 _***SooP***_

The Kunoichi from Kiri had continued her search, until she heard a rustle from a nearby bush. Glancing towards her teammate she noticed that he was still aimlessly looking and found herself grinning at the thought of finally one upping the man who constantly claimed that 'all Kunoichi are useless'.

She would show him by capturing their enemy first.

Pulling out a kunai she quietly encircled the concealing foliage from behind before throwing her weapon in, and at hearing the sound of impact upon flesh dove in to discover… she had killed a rabbit.

Swearing in annoyance the girl never noticed when Hinata seemed to meld from the tree behind her, until a series of Juken blows knocked the Kunoichi unconscious.

 _***SooP***_

Luckily for the remaining member of the unfortunate Kiri team he was enough of a sensor to notice when his two teammates vanished.

Glaring in annoyance he activated one of his favorite Jutsu, and the favorite of his idol Zabuza.

 _"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu"_

The Shinobi had been expecting his crappy Kunoichi teammate to die, after all women had no place in a kill or be killed world, they should have just stayed at home where they belonged.

What was unsettling was that his Shinobi squad leader had also fallen, albeit he was only elected squad leader due to being his Sensei's favorite. The last man standing was always the strongest of the three.

As he sunk back into the fog and expanded his senses he began detecting Chakra signatures that did not align with his former team, clearly they had already realized that he wasn't just playing Shinobi and that their deaths were unavoidable at this point. Leave it to Konoha to promote children where they should have been left in the academy.

He began making his way toward one of the signatures, which soon revealed itself as a pretty young blonde, before sneaking up behind her and slashing through her torso with a tanto.

The girl instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 _***SooP***_

"Got him, ready onee-chan?"

"Ready Natsuko" The redhead confirmed as she interlocked her fingers and crouched down, allowing the blonde to run towards her full speed.

Just as Natsuko stepped into her sister's hands she channeled a large amount of Chakra into her legs and jumped, allowing the boost from her sister to throw her even higher into the air.

As the girl rocketed upwards she easily cleared the tree line and flew into the open sky. With a single hand sign she created a clone, which grabbed and whirled her around, throwing her even higher.

Here was one of her newly discovered favorite places to be, high up in the crystal blue sky, so far away from the cares she had in life. Up here she was free, simply existing among the crosswinds of the world. But up here she did not have her sister or her friends, those who truly mattered in her life, and so stealing her resolve she once again made a single hand sign.

One Kunoichi became a hundred.

Each of them pulled out two Kunai and threw them towards the mist cloaked ground below before making another furry of hand signs.

 _"Ninja Art: Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu"_

Each Kunai became a hundred.

Over twenty thousand Kunai rained down on the area, utterly annihilating it.

 _***SooP***_

Knowing what the blonde was going to do next Akane immediately grabbed ahold of her remaining teammate, who let out a silent yelp in reaction, before throwing her against a nearby tree with a curve in it, knowing that it would prevent them from being struck due to it's angle.

Hinata herself was practically hyperventilating as the Kunai, which sounded less like metal impacts and more like rain at this point, fell from the sky and blanketed the area. But it wasn't the attack which was causing her freak out no it was the fact that she was being pressed against the tree by her red haired teammate.

Akane's body was pressed against the young Hyuga to ensure her safety, but her eyes were scanning for potential ambushes.

Meanwhile the pale eyed girl couldn't pry her gaze from the face of the one in front of her. Her body was warm against her own, her hands pressed to either side almost like they were…. Their lips were inches apart.

If Hinata just pushed her head forward just a tiny bit…. if she were just a bit braver or more honest with herself….

Suddenly the attack halted and a cheerful voice called out, "All clear onee-chan and Hinata-chan!"

Hinata let out a disappointed sigh when she felt the warm body leave and go to rejoin her sister.

Maybe one day…

 _***SooP***_

It had been two days since the start of the second exam and Team Eight was still moving towards the tower. Although they could have probably made faster travel they had agreed that just rushing through and arriving exhausted would be dangerous, especially if any teams had been setting up traps towards the end.

Moving through the trees Hinata glanced over towards one direction in particular, and slowed a bit. By this point the two Uzumaki instantly recognized that sign as the Hyuga sensing or seeing something worth noting.

"What is it?"

"It is a dark Chakra I have never felt anything like it before."

"Is it demonic?"

The pale eyed girl shook her head, remembering the feeling of Gaara's presence from when they had spied on the Suna team a day ago and watched as the boy slaughtered an opposing Genin team.

"No nothing like that, but it feels… unnatural like the darkness is covering up a normal person's Chakra."

"We should stay away from it then huh onee-chan?"

"I agree, something like that could either be the product of the forest itself or…"

"Oh no…."

The two looked towards the, now horrified Kunoichi.

"What is it Hinata?"

"There are others with it. It is hard to tell exactly who but Lee and Team ten for sure."

Akane muttered out a curse before coming to a complete stop.

"We certainly can't let them get hurt now can we?"

The other two shook their heads before the three took off towards the source with Natsuko smiling the entire time at the bonds her sister seemed to be making

***A/N***

Hope everyone enjoyed the change made to the first exam, like I said I was never really all that interested in it during the actual manga/show.

I will be doing more with Team seven and the rest in the next chapter, which will pick up with the Sasuke cursed seal incident.

I have no idea why I decided to make Tenten so violent and aggressive towards her teammates, I guess I just kinda figured that being stuck with Gai, Lee, and Neji that she would just naturally gravitate towards that personality.

 **I already have a few ideas for pairings, but if anyone has any suggestions feel free to shout them out.**

As always I hope everyone who reads this does enjoy it!


	9. Trial of Blood

**Sum of our Parts**

Trial of Blood

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review, favorite, follow or read my story.

***I own neither the characters nor the plot of Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

When Team eight finally reached their destination they were quite astonished at the sight. The team from Oto was retreating from an enraged Sasuke, who was covered in strange markings, while Sakura and Kiba were trying to talk him down. Lee was already on the ground, going through some sort of spasms similar to what happened to Kabuto.

"Sasuke-kun please calm down, they are already running away!"

"Come on man this isn't you!"

Suddenly the seemingly possessed boy glanced over at the newcomers, causing Hinata to flinch back and fear while Akane instinctively stepped in front of her teammates.

"YOU! You made me look weak! You think you are stronger than me!? I will show you strength! I will show everyone how strong I am!" The crazed boy screamed as he charged forward, while the other Genin nearby moved to try and stop him.

Just as he reached the redhead, a kunai already drawn, she also charged forward, flipping over his attack and slamming his head down into the ground in the process.

Instantly the marks began to recede as the Uchiha lost consciousness once more.

"Well that was troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered out, trying to hide his worry at the current events.

"Y-yeah… what happened to him forehead?"

"Some creepy guy attacked us with snakes and then bit him!"

"Wait… you said snakes? Describe him."

The others turned towards the Uzumaki girl, a bit curious as to why she was so interested but Sakura relayed the information anyway.

"Uh he was pale white, with creepy yellow eyes, and a snake tongue. He had longish black hair and was really strong!"

"You said he could summon snakes Sakura-chan?" The blonde Uzumaki inquired, earning a nod of confirmation from the pinkette.

The two sisters sent worried glances towards each other, further confusing those around them.

"We should get to the tower as soon as possible, it isn't safe here anymore."

"It was safe before?" Kiba muttered out towards the redhead, before picking up his fallen teammate the best he could.

"Does everyone have the two scrolls necessary?" Hinata called out, earning nods from the other three teams.

Tenten had just arrived, along with her Hyuga teammate unfortunately, which immediately caused a glaring match between the two pale eyed Genin.

"Well my team has agreed that with everything that has been happening we should probably stick together until we get out of here, even if it is a bit troublesome."

"Hinata, before I forget we ran into some Ninja that were targeting Hyuga, you need to be really careful okay?" The brunette Kunoichi called out hurriedly.

"I told you she has nothing to worry about. I doubt they would be looking to kidnap someone as weak as her, even if it is to create a Hyuga bloodline in another village."

Again Hinata glared towards the older Genin before returning to her team.

"With everyone seemingly targeting us I think it would be a good idea to stick together for now." Kiba managed to huff out, while carrying Sasuke.

The others nodded before departing once more for the tower.

 _***SooP***_

"Congratulations on your success Team eight!" Iruka called out after he had been summoned in the tower.

"Thank you Iruka-Sensei." Hinata responded.

"Well you have a day before the next section begins. I would suggest getting something to eat and resting beforehand. You will be summoned when we are ready to begin."

"Iruka-San, could you inform Anko and Hokage-Dono that we need to speak with them as soon as possible please?" the redhead asked.

"Sure Akane, I will let them know right now. If you three continue down the hallway on the right you should find some living quarters that you can rest in."

 _***SooP***_

"Ah Akane, and Natsuko how are you two doing today? I see you have passed the second portion of the exam."

"Heck yeah we did Jiji!"

"Indeed Hokage-Dono, but that is not why we asked to speak with you two. We have a more pressing concern to address."

"Is it concerning that Kabuto kid you warned us about? Because we already have some ANBU waiting for the brat at the next stage, don't you worry about him Gaki's if he is working for who you say then…"

"Orochimaru is here, in Konoha."

The two elder Ninja stopped immediately, staring wide eyed at the young girl.

"Wh-what do you mean Akane? Are you sure?" Anko stuttered out, fear creeping up her spine at the thought of her old mentor.

"From Sakura-chan's description he attacked them and put some weird tattoo on Sasuke-kun's neck in the forest."

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed at the description, knowing full well what that meant. With a slight gesture an ANBU was summoned before he informed the man to find Kakashi and Sasuke.

Turning back towards the two Genin the man gave his best attempt at a comforting smile, and failed miserably.

"That's not all. According to Team ten there is at least one other team of Genin who were sent to capture a Hyuga. We made sure that Hinata was with Kurenai-Sensei before we left."

The village leader let out a weary sigh before rubbing his head in annoyance, even after all of the previous attempts there were still villages looking to try and kidnap Ninja during these popular events.

"I will make sure that we look into this. Unless there is something else I would recommend you two get some sleep, it sounds like you will need all the strength you can in the next portion."

Nodding the two younger Kunoichi departed, while Anko stared after them, concern in her eyes.

 _***SooP***_

"So what is this about you three?" Tenten inquired, as she, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Shino sat down with the two Uzumaki Genin and Hinata.

"Onee-chan scoped out the building while we have been waiting and it looks like a giant arena, so Hinata-chan thinks the next portion is going to be some sort of tournament type of test."

"Makes sense, that way everyone can show off in a clear way in single battle, how troublesome."

"Okay but why are you telling us this? Not that I don't appreciate the heads up but we are technically competing." Tenten continued.

"There is a redhead boy from Suna in the tournament I trust you all saw him at least once?"

"Yeah that guy gives me the creeps." Sakura mentioned, giving a brief shiver.

"If any of you or your teammates happened to be paired up against him in a fight, you need to forfeit immediately."

"He seems intense but I fail to see your reasoning." The Aburame analyzed, staring at the redhead in a bit of confusion.

"He is…. Dangerous, I can't say more without a more thorough explanation which involves high level secrets but we saw him encounter another team in the forest. He killed them without effort."

The other Genin's eyes widened in shock, except for Shino whose eyes were hidden, "So what do we do? Tell the Hokage?"

"No, leave him to us…" Akane answered Tenten, her voice gaining a deadly edge as Natsuko nodded in confirmation.

"Sounds good to me, but Kiba and Sasuke-kun will never turn down a fight."

"Don't worry we will be mentioning this to the Jonin if necessary."

"Why is it that you only told us though, why not all the Genin?" the brunette inquired

"Because you are the only ones who are calm and levelheaded enough not to immediately pick a fight with the boy, and smart enough to know when to fight and when to run."

 _***SooP***_

"Now that all of you have assembled here the next stage of the exam shall begin, this will be a tournament style elimination trial resulting in one winner. The rest of the rules will be explained by the proctor, Hayate Gekko." The Hokage announced, before stepping back and allowing the sickly man to step forward.

"Right then, if anyone would like to give up now they may do so, otherwise the next stage will start immediately."

"I wish to forfeit proctor, I used way too much Chakra during the last portion and I am in no shape to continue." The silver haired Genin replied.

"Very well, Ibiki would you be so kind as to escort him safely back to Konoha safely?"

The scarred man nodded before gesturing to follow him down a nearby hallway.

"If there is no one else who needs to bow out we will begin with a brief explanation of the rules. Since there are so many of you who passed we will be doing a preliminary round to narrow down the potential victors, with so many high end clients present we need to ensure that only the best are given time. The first match will be Sasuke Uchiha versus Yoroi Akado. Everyone else must immediately leave the area for the spectator areas."

 _***SooP***_

The two Shinobi faced off, which resulted in a victory for Sasuke after a vicious Taijutsu combo he had improvised from Lee, he promptly passed out afterwards due to the influence of the Cursed Seal.

"Next Ino Yamanaka will face Sakura Haruno."

The two Kunoichi made their way to the ring and stood opposite before the proctor began the match.

 _***SooP***_

The two Kunoichi stared each other down, once again resuming their 'eternal rivalry'.

"You are going down forehead, and then it will prove to everyone that you aren't the top of the Kunoichi like everyone thinks you are but instead it's me!"

"You wish Ino-pig. After I beat you here Sasuke-kun will see how amazing I am and agree on going out, maybe we will stop by the flower shop sometime, so that he can buy me roses."

"Ha! As if he would stoop so low as to date you, why would he settle for second best when he can have me?"

"Because why would anyone want such an obnoxiously bright blonde hanging on them? All you will do is cause him to go blind."

"You're one to talk! That pink hair isn't even natural!"

"It is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"FOR THE LOVE OF KAMI SHUT THE HELL UP!" Hayate screamed at the two shocked Genin, before taking a few breaths to calm himself.

Seriously what the hell was wrong with these two? They weren't even acting like Kunoichi! If either of them had been against any other Ninja here, or heaven forbid one of Kurenai's students, they would have been torn to pieces by now.

But noooo fate just seemed to enjoy making the poor Jonin suffer, first he had this damn cough and now he had to be the proctor for the most pathetic Genin match of all time, which so far consisted of who could insult the other's hair more effectively.

The two Genin resumed their glaring contest before both charged forward, and began…. a Taijutsu match? It couldn't really be called that of course, seeing as how their attacks were pathetic and looked more like what civilians called 'cat fighting' rather than actual Kunoichi battling one another. Even for Genin the display of physical ability and skill was atrocious.

After twenty minutes the battle finally resolved itself with a dual knockout, giving sighs of relief from the various Ninja.

 _***SooP***_

"Well that was sad…" The proctor muttered before the next match was announced to be Shino Aburame vs. Zaku Abumi.

The following match was short and brutal as the bug user plugged up the man's arm weapons, causing them to malfunction and detonate.

 _***SooP***_

"Neji Hyuga versus Kankuro of Suna"

The match between the two experienced Genin hadn't lasted long, with Neji's superior speed and Byakugan he was easily able to flank the puppet and cut the Chakra Threads, before proceeding to beat the poor boy into submission.

"Just as fate ordained."

 _***SooP***_

"Tenten of Konoha versus Temari of Suna"

Despite the best efforts of the weapon mistress she was unable to land a single blow on the Wind user, resulting in her defeat.

 _***SooP***_

"Hinata Hyuga versus 'O' of Kumo"

The Two Genin made their way to the arena, while their teammates cheered them on, and in Natsuko's case quite loudly, earning a faint blush from the Hyuga.

"Begin!"

The two jumped back as Hinata studied her opponent. He was a larger man of somewhat dark complexion. He wore metal gauntlets and what appeared to be metal boots.

From her studied the Kunoichi remembered that most of the Kumo Ninja were lightning oriented and so he most likely channeled his Chakra into these objects in order to use enhanced Taijutsu.

"Scared already Hyuga? Don't worry there will be plenty of time for you to be terrified later, though I understand that this tournament must be terrifying for a group of defenseless little girls."

"I am not afraid there is no reason to fear a Shinobi from a village which prides themselves in kidnapping children."

Her opponent let out a growl before charging forward, his gauntlets crackling with electricity just as the Kunoichi had assumed.

Hinata easily dodged his first blow, and upon activation of the Byakugan began dodging his follow up attacks just as efficiently.

"I must say this is rather disappointing for such a feared Ninja village, I would have thought you could land at least one blow on a 'poor defenseless little girl'." Hinata taunted, further aggravating the man as he pushed more force into his failing strategy.

"I WILL SHOW YOU! BEHOLD THE TRUE POWER OF KUMOGAKURE!" The man began gathering a massive amount of lightning, focusing it first on his hands and feet, then molding it into an offensive attack.

 _"Lightning Style: Earth Flash"_

Just as the man slammed his hands to the ground, to fire the wave of deadly energy towards his opponent Hinata finished the hand signs she had made in secret while the man was concentrating.

" _Water Style: Hand of Waves"_

The torrent of water hit the man just as he released the attack, completely soaking him and turning his own technique back against him.

The man fell to the ground, violently twitching from the electrical charge now running through his body as the medics approached.

One of the medics used a weak Earth Jutsu to reroute the energy before checking on the man.

"No good, he's gone."

Hinata walked away, despite knowing that she had killed in self defense, and was hoping not to do so in the process, she still felt tears cling to her eyes.

 _***SooP***_

"The next battle will be Rock Lee against Akane Uzumaki"

"So Shikamaru, considering what you have seen of the teams so far who do you think will win this match?" Ino inquired, not noticing that the other Genin had moved a bit closer to hear the Nara's analysis.

"Man you have to ask me something like that? Way too troublesome… Judging based on what we professionally know Lee has a Taijutsu master teaching him, and from the looks of it they will be focusing on this for their battle. I have heard that he is possibly the strongest and fastest Genin of our class combined with the fact he is being taught one of the most powerful Taijutsu styles in the world. Then there is the fact that Akane has problems learning specific styles like that. Plus I have heard that he defeated Sasuke who is considered the prodigy from our class."

"So you're saying that Lee will win…" Tenten agreed, having recovered from her match and already knowing that as strange as the boy was Lee was one of the best Taijutsu specialists in their class.

"I am saying that if we just use that he would undoubtedly win… but my opinion is that Akane will be the victor."

"Why would you say that Shikamaru?" Choji asked, rather confused at the turn of opinions, he always had trouble keeping up when his friend did his analyzing.

"Do you remember back during the academy? When we would do those Taijutsu matches against each other?"

"Of course! Sasuke-kun was so dreamy. He was strong, fast, cool, cute…"

"You were saying Shikamaru?" Shino interrupted, hoping to cut off the blonde's daydreaming before it became too much to handle.

"Like I said, besides a couple of Sasuke's matches and maybe some of your own how many did you watch?"

"None of them, why would anyone care about something like that?" Sakura, and several others, nodded in agreement with the Yamanaka.

"Exactly, not even the instructors paid attention to every single match. In fact there is only one person who did… and she is standing in the ring right now."

"I don't get it Shikamaru, why would she bother wasting time like that?"

The Nara posed for a minute, before giving his answer, "She was analyzing us."

The assembled Genin felt a shiver crawl down their spine's at his explanation.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"She was figuring out how each of us fought and developed even back in the Academy. When we were all busy doing homework, studying, and trying to go out on dates she was already acting like a Ninja. Even back then she marked us as threats to her and Natsuko, and began to plan accordingly."

"That's a bit… scary. But what does it matter? We have all changed since then." Kiba declared, trying to find his courage again.

"Yes you all have, but the fact of the matter is that Akane, despite being a Genius at hard work, also has another skill unlike anyone else I have ever encountered, a skill which could very easily make her one of the most dangerous Ninja alive."

The Genin turned towards the new voice, and saw Maito Gai walking closer towards them, while he kept watch on the two Genin's walking towards the ring below.

"What do you mean Gai-Sensei?"

"Akane Uzumaki has the unique ability of being able to analyze and adapt to situations and combat styles, she has been doing it with Lee during every spar they have had thus far. My guess is that she will eventually find a way to counter attack the _Strong Fist_ , if she hasn't already."

The rookie Ninja returned their gaze back to the center, where the two Ninja were poised to begin.

 _***SooP***_

"I hope you are ready for this Akane-chan, I will not hold back!"

"I would expect nothing less from you Lee-san."

"Begin!"

The two Genin charged forward, engaging in an impressive display of Taijutsu, with Lee appearing to be moderately faster while Akane had a slight edge in strength.

As the two broke apart Lee gave a grin towards the girl who gave a slight smirk in response.

"LEE! IT IS TIME TO SHOW THEM THE INFINITE FLAMES OF YOUR YOUTH!"

"Gai-Sensei, are you sure? I thought that I was only to use this when an ally was in danger?"

"Normally yes Lee, but sometimes in order to protect and help an ally you must fight your hardest so that you may both grow!"

"OF COURSE GAI-SENSEI! I SHALL SHOW THAT MY YOUTH BURNS EVEN BRIGHTER THAN BEFORE!" The boy proceeded to remove a pair of weighted leg bands and drop them to the ground, creating two massive eruptions of dust.

 _***SooP***_

"Wh-what the hell was that!?" Kankuro gaped as the other Genin could only look on in shock.

 _***SooP***_

A split second later Lee vanished from sight and landed a blow to his opponent, sending her into the nearby wall and creating cracks in the stone due to the force.

"Come Akane-chan, surely you can do better than that?" The boy taunted with an even brighter grin than before, earning a slight smile from the Kunoichi.

"INDEED AKANE, YOU MUST SHOW THE EXTENT OF YOUR YOUTH AS WELL!"

The girl just glanced up towards the eccentric man before giving a shrug, and removed not only a pair of leg weights but arm weights as well.

As she dropped them the force of the impact again cracked and exploded the ground around the Ninja.

 _***SooP***_

"SERIOUSLY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU FEEDING THESE KIDS!?" The Suna Ninja exclaimed, while Sakura did a slight nudge to her blonde counterpart.

"Hey Ino… are you getting the feeling that we have just been 'pretending' to be Kunoichi the entire time?"

"You know what Sakura, for once I think you might be onto something. Our match must have looked pathetic compared to this."

"Don't beat yourselves up too hard over this girls. Akane is what my Sensei called a 'genius of hard work' and I agree with him. But at the same time yes your match was abysmal, what the hell has your Sensei been teaching you?" Tenten responded from nearby.

"Kakashi-Sensei focuses mostly on Sasuke-kun. He helped out Kiba a bit with his Taijutsu but other than that it has been teamwork exercises."

"Pretty much same here, but with four people on my squad I kind of expected that, especially since we are all clan heirs."

Meanwhile Kurenai frowned at the nearby conversation. Yes Asuma's team was all from major clans but that didn't give him a reason to neglect any of their personal training in the hopes that they would always be teamed up together. But what was far more upsetting was Sakura's comment, that she had been practically ignored in favor of her teammate.

Returning her sight back to the battle the Jonin made a mental note to speak to the other Jonin over the month of training, and if that failed to go to the Hokage directly.

 _***SooP***_

The two Genin disappeared in a blur of movement, disappearing from the sight of most Genin, and even some of the assembled Chunin.

A split second later the two appeared for a brief moment, to clash in the empty arena, before vanishing again. Only to appear in an entirely different spot, exchanging another set of blows.

"Th-they're so fast…" Choji muttered out extremely glad that he had not been forced to fight either of them.

"That is the flames of their youth!" Gai happily exclaimed, wiping a tear of pride from his eyes as he did so.

"Seriously Gai what the hell were you teaching these kids?" Asuma inquired, awestruck at how two different Ninja could achieve such ability in such a short amount of time.

"The process…."

Again Anko was startled by the sound of thunder and a flash of lightning at the other Jonin's statement.

 _***SooP***_

"You have improved Akane-chan! I must endeavor to reach even further heights! Now I shall show you the true intensity of the flames of my youth!" Lee exclaimed, as he broke from the fight and assumed a position that few of the others had ever scene.

Akane's eyes widened in disbelief as the boy began to glow with energy, tapping into a power that she had been told about but never fully taught.

 _"Gate of Opening: Release"_

"Gai, how many Gates can Lee open?" Kakashi inquired, a bit worried for the boy's opponent as well as his other students should they face him in the next round.

"Up to five if need be."

Kakashi did a double take at the green clad man. Releasing five gates at such a young age was unheard of!

 _"Gate of Healing: Release"_

 _"Gate of Life: Release"_

 _"Gate of Pain: Release"_

As he bore with the pain Lee was forced to close his eyes, ignoring the feeling of his body starting to tear itself apart, he needed to show everyone what he could do he needed to prove that he was not a failure.

 _"Gate of Lim…_ "

Suddenly a palm slammed into the boy's chest, forcing a gasp from him as a flash of blue energy emitted from Akane's outstretched hand.

A moment later the energy he had been releasing as a result faded, his body returned to normal, save for the damage and exhaustion he had already obtained from his technique.

As he collapsed forward he felt the redhead's arm gently catch him, helping him into a seated position instead.

"Wh-what did you do?"

"Stopped you from making a mistake, I don't know if Gai-Sensei told you this but even if you win the tournament you aren't necessarily promoted, and if you lose it doesn't mean that you can't be promoted. There is no sense in risking your life and your career for something like this."

"But what did you do to me?"

The girl shrugged, "You opened the Gates, and I closed them."

The Boy just chuckled before nodding his head in resignation.

"Proctor, in my current state I cannot continue, she has defeated me."

"Winner is Akane Uzumaki!"

 _***SooP***_

"The next match will be Choji Akimichi against Gaara of Suna."

The larger boy looked around nervously before his Sensei came up and put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Choji, just do your best and you will be fine. I tell you what if you win I will even treat you to barbecue afterwards okay?"

At the mention of free food the Genin immediately perked up before heading towards the stairs down, only to be stopped as he passed by his Nara teammate, who grabbed onto his arm gently.

Giving the genius a questioning look Shikamaru merely responded by gesturing back to where Asuma was in conversation with Akane Uzumaki.

"Tell Choji to forfeit."

"Look just because your Sensei didn't want you participating doesn't mean that I doubt Choji's abilities, sure he might be a bit rough but this is a good experience to light the 'Will of Fire' in him."

"You don't understand…"

"Akane it will be fine, nothing will happen to Choji." Gai chimed in as he walked over to where the conversation was held, promptly followed by Kurenai, Anko, and Kakashi, who had recently returned from removing Sasuke to a less populated location.

The girl merely sighed as her sister joined her, "This isn't a match he can win, Gaara is like Natsuko and I. But he's unstable if Choji fights him Gaara will kill him."

The Sarutobi looked puzzled for a second.

'Like Natsuko and I…. That means that the Suna boy is…'

"Choji, on second thought how about I just take you out to a buffet to celebrate your success in the previous portion of the exam huh? In fact I will take all Team ten out once your matches are through, how does that sound?"

"Uh okay but what about…"

"You aren't ready to fight him sometimes the most important thing a Ninja can know is when _not_ to get into a fight. You need to be aware that not every battle is one you can win, and occasionally the mission, and staying alive, is more important than proving who is stronger."

Glancing over to his best friend, and seeing the dark haired boy nod in agreement, the Akimichi agreed before calling out his forfeit.

 _***SooP***_

The redhead glanced up at the two sisters who had cost him a chance to prove his existence, his glare deepening as he remembered them from before.

"You will both prove my existence."

Akane merely stared back at him, unfazed by his proclamation, while Natsuko stuck her tongue out in response.

 _***SooP***_

"Shikamaru versus Kin Tsuchi"

Shikamaru was eventually able to triumph over the Genjutsu like effects of the Oto Ninja through a genius tactic involving his shadow manipulation powers, and the two Genin's positions.

 _***SooP***_

"Will Natsuko Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka please come down to the arena."

"Alright! Let's go Akamaru, we'll show these lame Kunoichi whose boss!" The dog barked excitedly along with his master as they made their way down, along with their opponent.

"Both sides ready? Begin!"

"I hope you don't think I am gonna go easy on you Natsuko! But maybe afterwards we can go out to eat somewhere eh?"

 _***SooP***_

"Seriously… he's flirting with her during their match? This boy is going to get himself killed, either from not paying attention or from when the battle is over and Akane cuts him into pieces." Anko muttered, shaking her head, while Kurenai glared at the boy's lazy Sensei.

For once Kakashi had the presence of mind to look embarrassed about the situation, having missed the match between Sakura and Ino.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright boy let's end this quickly and show everyone how a real alpha male fights!" The Inuzuka exclaimed, before throwing a pill to his companion, turning the small dog red, and ingesting one himself, which changed his own appearance into one far more feral.

The small dog then proceeded to jump onto its master, before Kiba formed a hand sign.

 _"Man Beast Clone"_

Now there were two Kibas poised to strike, then they charged forward.

Natsuko immediately began doing back flips to put distance between her and the two, before forming a hand sign and creating a dozen _Kage Bunshin._

"Get the short one!" The original commanded, earning a growl from one Kiba, while the other shouted back his response.

"Hey I'm taller than you!"

 _***SooP***_

"And now she knows which one is real…. seriously Kakashi what have you been teaching these two?"

"Uh…. teamwork?"

 _***SooP***_

While Akamaru was busy dealing with the clones the two originals began their own battle, with Kiba charging towards the girl while she would dodge out of close combat and launch either a kunai or attempt a low level Jutsu.

Most of these attacks were either avoided or ignored but a few stray wind blasts managed to catch the boy, inflicting some bruises while slowing him down.

"Enough of this! Akamaru time for plan: Awwwww yeahhhhhh"

The entire room sweat dropped at the title the boy had just shouted.

The two partners jumped back together, and formed a pair of whirlwinds which charged forward towards their opponent.

 _"Fang Passing Fang"_

The two whirlwinds charged the blonde, which barely dodged out of the path from one, only to be hit by the second and thrown back to the ground.

Afterwards the Kibas came to a stop before readjusting and prepared to charge again, once more becoming a pair of whirlwinds.

This time as they impacted Natsuko burst into smoke, having switched places with a clone while her adversaries were readjusting from the initial attack.

 _"Wind Style: Air Bullets"_

The blonde had instantly taken advantage of the short reprieve and fired a blast of air into the now disoriented Akamaru, dispelling the clone Jutsu and knocking him unconscious.

"Akamaru no! Damnit I'll make you regret that!" The Inuzuka growled out before charging once more for the blonde, at the last second he once more formed his family's technique, not giving her enough time to dodge and throwing her into a nearby wall.

"See? I will beat you and make you mine, and then everyone will acknowledge just how powerful I am, not that stupid teme Sasuke."

 _***SooP***_

In the stands Tsume and Hana Inuzuka fumed at the display their son was doing. To announce such a thing towards a Kunoichi was infuriating. They would definitely be having a chat with their little Kiba once this was over.

 _***SooP***_

Just as Kiba marched over toward the prone girl, she leapt forward, smashing her head against his face and earning a yelp from the boy.

"Bitch!"

He grabbed her arm before pushing her against the wall, face first, pressing himself up against her from behind.

"This is where you belong, you and your sister…"

The blonde growled in rage before firing a gust of wind against the wall, knocking both the Ninja backwards from the force.

 _***SooP***_

Kurenai was glaring down at the match, enraged beyond belief. For Kiba to put her student through such a humiliating thing was…

She glanced over towards the girl's sister, and had to force herself not to gasp out, the killing intent radiating from the redhead was practically visible!

 _***SooP***_

"You shouldn't have said that about my sister Kiba, now I have to beat the hell out of you…"

"Oh yeah and how are you…."

 _"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu"_

The arena filled with Natsuko's each glaring at the boy, who could only look on in shock.

"B-big deal I'm still way better than you so this isn't going to…"

 _"Earth Style: Great Mud River"_

The Inuzuka found himself neck deep in mud, unable to move much less build the momentum needed to form his technique.

The Bunshin dispersed, leading to one enraged blonde slowly walking towards the now trapped boy.

She drew a kunai painfully slowly as she walked, a death glint in her eyes before she stopped down in front of his head.

"Now hold on Natsuko-chan, l-let's talk about this…"

"What is there to talk about Kiba? You threatened my sister, so the only logical thing to do is remove your head from the rest of your body."

"P-proctor I forfeit!"

"Alright Natsuko, as much as I would enjoy watching you spill the kids blood all over the floor from what he did, I can't let you do it…."

The blonde turned toward the man, a murderous look in her eyes, before she took a calming breath and walked back towards her team, leaving the Genin still stuck in the ground.

 _***SooP***_

As the rest of the non Konoha fights ended Hayate displayed a large screen with the various Genin's portraits and a tournament style bracket setup.

"Alright everyone will be assigned a number at random which will determine where you will be on the bracket, the next stage of the battles is in a month so I suggest that you take that time to train for the upcoming matches."

After the Ninja had picked their numbers the results were displayed.

Sasuke Uchiha vs. Akane Uzumaki

Hinata Hyuga vs. Neji Hyuga

Shino Aburame vs. Gekido of Kumo

Dosu of Oto vs. Fomu of Kiri

Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari of Suna

Natsuko Uzumaki vs. Gaara of Suna

"Well… this is going to be interesting." Anko muttered out as she saw the results.

***A/N***

Woo first part of the tournament is done! I hope no one is upset that I cut a lot of the fights out. I felt like the ones I did cut were either exactly as they would be in canon, or the outcome would have been obvious, such as Neji against Kankuro.

The Next chapter will be a whole lot of more drama, angst, and character interactions to take a break from some of the action.

 **I am still working on the pairings for this story, if anyone has any suggestions let me know.**

As always I hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I did writing.


	10. Memories of the Past

**Sum of our Parts**

Memories of the Past

***No ownership implied by me at all. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

***SooP***

"So whose up for a celebratory ramen bowl!?" The Blonde Uzumaki exclaimed, as she and the other members of Konoha's Genin teams walked out of the stadium, minus Sasuke who had been taken by Kakashi after his match, and the two Hyuga who had been taken for a clan meeting.

"You know Natsuko, eating that much ramen isn't good for you." Ino chimed in seeking to add another of her female classmates to the diet plan she had created.

"BLASPHEMY UNTO THE LORD!"

"Natsuko takes her ramen very seriously Ino-San. Believe me I have tried to dissuade her from it to no success." The redheaded Uzumaki replied.

"Troublesome…"

"Ramen is good and all, but have you ever had my families famous barbecue ribs Natsuko? They are super awesome" the Akimichi praised, while shoveling food from a nearby vending machine into his mouth.

As the conversations continued the Genin neared the exit of the building, only to be stopped by a voice from behind.

"Akane and Natsuko Uzumaki, could you two wait for a second please?"

The two Kunoichi turned around, to see a much taller and slightly older version of their Uchiha classmate walking towards them.

Itachi Uchiha.

"We will catch up with you guys later." The blonde waved the other Genin on, who shrugged and continued on, much to the lament of Sakura and Ino, who wanted to stare at the man for a little longer.

"What's up Uchiha-kun?" Natsuko called out happily, earning a slight smile from the man in front of them at her happiness.

"I wish to speak with you about the events during your mission to Wave."

"You mean what happened on the bridge?" Akane accurately assumed, earning a nod from the Uchiha.

"Yes, I have been informed that had it not been for you three my younger brother would have most likely come back far worse from that mission, if he had come back at all. I have already spoken with his two teammates and his Jonin sensei, and apologized to the three of them for his behavior. As I understand it he acted very foolishly during the fight and put all of you in unnecessary danger."

"Aw don't worry about that Uchiha-kun it was nothing we couldn't handle."

"Regardless thank you for your efforts in protecting him. I understand that you attempted to protect him and Kiba during their battle Natsuko."

The blonde happily nodded.

"I also have heard that you directly protected him and were injured in the process Akane?"

"There is no reason to thank me I did not do it to rescue him. Kakashi-Sama asked me to protect him."

"I was not aware that he was close enough to communicate with you." The somewhat surprised ANBU responded.

"I could see it in his eyes, besides it lead to our victory so there is no reason to comment on it further."

"Regardless, thank you for your assistance." Itachi reached out to put a comforting hand on the redhead, only to receive a reaction that he had never dreamed of.

Akane immediately grabbed her sister and jumped backwards, keeping the blonde behind her, while drawing a kunai with her free hand.

As they landed, with their backs to the wall, Akane glanced back and forth, as if expecting an attack from either direction.

Itachi stood in the same spot, almost frozen in place at the young girl's response to his attempt at an affectionate thanks.

Moments later the group of Jonin Sensei casually strolled into the tunnel, and gaze curiously at the event that was taking place.

"Is something going on here?" Gai inquired, noticing that the two female Jonin were immediately tense at the stance that Akane had taken.

"No of course not, onee-chan just slipped and I caught her, that's all." The blonde laughed out, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I'm sorry I… have to go." The redhead mumbled, before hastily leaving the tunnel, followed closely by her sister.

"Okay... well that was weird…" Asuma muttered out, his gaze following after the two girls.

Anko's sight however was fixed on Itachi.

"What was that all about?" the snake mistress inquired, her tone implying that she would not take anything but the truth as an answer.

"I am not sure…." was the Sharingan wielder's reply.

Kakashi merely let out a deep sigh, earning a curious glance from the Genin's Sensei.

 _***TRwP***_

"Onee-chan wait…" The girl huffed out, trying to keep up with her sister who had long since broken into a run through the forest.

"Wait up…." Still the redhead continued on, not even looking back, as if running would allow her to escape some hidden demons.

"AKANE-CHAN!" This time the girl froze in place, allowing the shorter Kunoichi to catch up, albeit a bit out of breath from the experience.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"I'm sorry…."

"Akane-chan, why are you…"

"I know it must be hard…. being my sister. I am difficult to be around with other people, I am untrusting, I am jumpy, and I see all the glares that we get in the village, they are always worse when I am with you… clinging to you like I do…. It can't be easy having to spend so much time with me rather than the others, being my only friend…"

"Of course not! I love you Akane-chan! I just want to know what's wrong, I want to help!"

"There's nothing you can help with Natsuko… I just can't…. when he reached out for me…"

"It reminded you of that week…"

"I can't get passed it… no matter how much I try I can't put it behind me, I can't be comfortable around others, with others so close…"

"It's okay Akane-chan… just… talk to me, tell me what happened. I know you never would before but please… I want you to be happy."

"I can't tell you, it's nothing you should hear."

"I'm your sister, let me in please!"

"I…"

"Akane-chan please!"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEY DID TO ME!? WHAT I GAVE UP FOR YOU!?" Finally the girl broke down falling to the ground sobbing as all of the emotions she had tried so hard to suppress came bursting out.

Natsuko was at her side in an instant, holding her close, letting her sister cry into her chest.

 _***TRwP***_

After a few minutes Natsuko had managed to help her sister reach their apartment without being seen by any of the villagers, not really all that difficult when you spend your life outrunning mobs.

As she laid the vulnerable girl down she was even more surprised to find the redhead clinging to her like a lifeline.

She remembered doing the same to Akane when she had been scared or lonely growing up.

She remembered feeling helpless and so afraid back then, and now it was her sister's turn to need comforting, to need protection.

The blonde wrapped her arms around the girl, just like how Akane had done with her growing up, and slowly rocked back and forth, lulling the girl to sleep.

"Don't worry Akane-chan, I promise I will not let anyone hurt you, now it is my turn to take care of you." The young Uzumaki whispered her face set in a look of determination that few would have taken lightly.

 _***TRwP***_

"Welcome Neji and Hinata. I am pleased to hear that you have both passed the preliminary round of the Chunin tournament."

"Yes father, as was fated I have easily passed."

Hinata merely nodded, not feeling any inclination to verbally responded unless directly forced to.

"Very good, I would have been most disappointed if either of you had been disqualified so early on, though it would not have been so shocking in certain cases…" The man's gaze focused on Hinata, who did not shrink back like she normally would have, instead her gaze remained focused on the ground in front of her.

"The Hyuga council and I have been making some discussions and due to the high likely hood that you will be promoted Neji we wish to offer you an early congratulations." The boy nodded, pride in his eyes as he stared back at his father.

"Thank you father, I will make the Hyuga proud in the upcoming matches and decimate my opponents."

"I have no doubt, I am eager to see your eventual match against the Uchiha."

The boy confidently nodded in agreement.

"As you for Hinata, since you will be fighting against Neji in your first battle I have no doubt that you will fail to move on, however this is to be expected of the branch clan so there is no shame in this. I expect you to put up a halfway decent attempt before either forfeiting or being defeated. Neji I expect you not to show any high level Hyuga techniques during the first match, especially against a branch clan member."

The two Genin merely nodded, one in confidence, the other far more subtly.

"Very good, now then on to business, since you are both entering the correct age and Neji at least will make Chunin the council and I have decided to begin each of your courtship processes to find you both a strong mate. Neji we already have several powerful and skilled Hyuga Kunoichi in mind, so much so that we may be looking into a loophole to allow you multiple wives should that be desired. Hinata there are several branch clan members who appear to be interested in you as well, obviously we will determine which would be the best match for you and if the fates allow then you will be able to conceive this year. If your child is seen as strong then we may even pass on the privilege to your sister in a year or two as well."

The Hyuga head then opened up a scroll on his desk and began searching through a list of names, oblivious to the shocked expressions on the two Genin's faces.

"F-father do you not think this is a bit early for my courtship? I have not even become a Chunin yet. I was hoping to push back any eventual marriages until after I made Jonin at least."

"An admirable goal Neji but the fact is that we have not completely recovered from the Kyuubi attack, add to that all of the number of Kumo Ninja who have been _allowed_ to participate in the exams and we may very well be looking at another incident with them in the future."

"Hizashi-Sama, with all due respect I believe that both my sister and I are too young to be thinking of bearing children. If we were it would most likely put a halt to or outright end our careers as Kunoichi."

"Yes we are aware of that Hinata, and that is the unfortunate price that the Hyuga clan must pay for continuing the existence of our clan. Now I am sure you are aware that you will be expected to become pregnant within one month of your marriage, and should your body show the correct signs of resilience then we will require one child every year for the first three years of marriage."

Hinata's eyes were water with unshed tears, she had always known this would be the fate of Hanabi and herself… but to hear this man so casually talk of being turned into breeding stock was…

"Father I understand that it is the council's wish that Hinata and her sister continue the bloodline but I agree with her, Hanabi is far too young to be bearing children she is only nine years old. At least let her wait until her Chunin…"

"Enough Neji, I understand that she is a bit young but you are also aware that pregnancies are able to happen as young as eight in some cases. The fact of the matter is that we need to bolster the Hyuga clan as soon as possible. The only reason I am waiting until after the Chunin exam for Hinata is to prevent any potential damage to the baby, as well as the appearance of the clan if we were to pull our Kunoichi out of the tournament before the second phase."

When the man was met with silence he gave a casual wave, dismissing both Ninja from the room.

"Hinata…. I know we have never been friends of any kind, but for what it's worth… I am sorry." Neji muttered out, a bit of emotion entering his voice before he walked away toward his personal quarters.

Hinata just stood, her mind trying to cope with what she had been told and desperately attempting to come up with a solution to protect herself, and more importantly, her sister.

 _***TRwP***_

Hiruzen Sarutobi was enjoying a new flavor of Tobacco, recently imported from Wave, when a knock on his door earned his attention.

"Enter"

The group of Jonin Sensei shuffled in, along with Yugao, Hayate, and Anko.

The eldest man's eye quirked up in curiosity as he noticed the concerned looks on several of their faces.

"What can I do for all of you today?"

"Hello Hokage-Sama, apologies for coming in on such short notice but there are several issues we wish to speak with you about."

"Think nothing of it Gai, now what are these concerns you all seem to have?"

"First off is the fact that there is another Jinchuriki in the Chunin exams." Asuma responded, earning a concerned glance from his father.

The older man thought for a moment before replying back, "Gaara of Suna I take it?"

"You knew?" Kakashi inquired, finally putting away his orange book during the meeting.

"No, but he would be the most obvious candidate for it with his skill level. How were all of you made aware of this?"

"Natsuko and Akane warned us when Choji was about to fight him." The Sarutobi replied, feeling more and more grateful towards the two sisters with each passing day.

"Ah, I have heard that Jinchuriki are able to sense each other to an extent."

"More pressing than that though is what are we doing about Orochimaru?" Anko blurted out.

"We have already detained and are in the process of interrogating Kabuto, but if there is a Jinchuriki here as well I am sure it is due to his planning. That is far too much of a coincidence not to be." The Hokage answered, ignoring the startled gapes from the uninformed Jonin.

"Wh-what the hell does that monster want?" Yugao asked, feeling her skin crawl at the knowledge she had of the infamous traitor.

"It seems he wants Sasuke for some purpose, probably for his Sharingan." Kakashi answered, having already placed the suppression seal on his student to help counter its effects.

"We need to do something about this dad, if this is true all of our students could be in danger."

"Do not be too concerned, I have already contacted Jiraiya and he will be arriving today. All ANBU have been placed on high alert and no one is to journey in anything less than a group of three at all times."

"Are you sure that will be enough sir?" Hayate inquired, earning a sigh from his leader.

"No but we can't have armies of ANBU roaming the streets, the political impact would be damaging enough, this is the same reason we cannot act on Gaara or his siblings."

"Plus we would need to explain the fact we are using our own Jinchuriki as weapons against Genin as well." Kurenai practically growled out, remembering just how mad she was at her students being used in this fashion.

The Hokage tilted his hat down to avoid the glares of the Kunoichi before continuing his briefing.

"Yes that too… Was there anything else?"

"Actually yes Hokage- _Dono_ there was I would like to know why it is that certain members of this village know more about my students than I do. Some that have no reason to know so much in fact."

"What do you mean Kurenai?"

"I mean, why is it that you and Kakashi seem to have knowledge about why Akane acts the way she does and why Natsuko is so secretive about it, but I have never been given any information at all."

"It's not really a Ninja matter per se Kurenai-San it is something personal that happened a long time ago." The Cyclopean Shinobi replied.

"If that is true then why do you seem to know so much about it? Why doesn't Anko know anything either?" The Kunoichi pressed, trying to figure out what was happening to her students.

"Did you ever meet Akane when she was younger Kurenai?" The Hokage suddenly interrupted a faraway look in his eyes.

"I can't really recall doing so, why?"

"You probably did and just never put two and two together. If you stood them side by side and had a conversation with both I doubt anyone would think of them as the same person."

"What do you mean Hokage-Sama?" Anko inquired.

"When she was young Akane was…. very similar to Natsuko, if a bit more mature. She was always running around, laughing, giggling, and shouting about how she would eventually become a great Kunoichi and Hokage someday. She was such a happy child…"

"What happened?" Kurenai whispered out, fearing what events could lead to such a dramatic change.

"We don't really know."

The heads in the room turned to Kakashi, whose face was downcast, as he stared at the floor, as if in shame.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

"I was often assigned to watch over the girls when I was in ANBU, a job that few others wanted but that I was happy to undertake. Until one day I was given a far off mission. It took over a month to complete and when I returned…. She was so quiet, so… Well she had changed into what you now see."

"What happened during that month?" the snake mistress asked out, not directing the question at anyone in particular.

"Even I do not know exactly, it seems as though fate was not on their side as I was also called away on an emergency diplomatic meeting two days after Kakashi was assigned his task. All I know is that something occurred during that time which drastically changed the young girl's life. Not only did she become drawn in and anti-social but her protectiveness towards Natsuko was amplified tremendously." The oldest Ninja replied.

"Does anyone have any idea on what occurred?"

"I tried to talk to Akane about it one time, but she immediately shut me out. I even tried to ask Natsuko but she was surprisingly silent about the event as well. Unfortunately the girls did not have any close friends at the time to confide in which probably only made the situation worse. You could try the Ichiraku's, as far as I am aware they are the only other people that the girls would have trusted at the time."

The two Kunoichi nodded as the group departed, still lacking in answers to what the future and past held.

 _***TRwP***_

'Worrying' was not how Jiraiya would have chosen to describe the situation he now found himself and Konoha in. No that was a word that the Toad Sage would use to describe a considerably less troublesome situation, such as having to undertake an S-Rank mission, or running from a horde of angry women.

Having Orochimaru infiltrating the Chunin exams with his two Goddaughters along with an unstable Jinchuriki from Suna and a host of other hostile Genin from other nations which do not get along with Konoha was more like 'a potential catastrophe'.

Now the Sannin was leaping among rooftops, attempting to locate either one of the two sisters, or a hot spring that he could use for some 'research'.

The more concerning thing was how difficult it was to locate a blonde and a redhead in a village where those two hair colors were rare to say the least.

Suddenly the white haired man caught a flash of blonde, and after coming to a halt nearby spotted the two girls.

'Now time to make an entrance befitting one of my stature, then bask in their wonderment and awe.' The older man planned before leaping through the air in an impressive flip and landing a dozen feet in front of the two girls.

"BEHOLD THE AMAZING JIRAIYA OF THE SANNIN, GREATEST OF THE TOAD SAGES, AND SUPER PERVERT HAS ARRIVED!" The man proclaimed while striking an 'awesome pose' in front of the two girls.

Jiraiya had received quite a few reactions to his entrance before. He had watched children stare in awe, adults scowl, and women glare furiously. There were times that he had found himself under attack from not only enemy Ninja but also enraged females who knew of his Icha Icha stories. There was even a child who had asked for his autograph.

But never in all of his years had the Sannin ever been completely and utterly ignored.

The two Uzumaki sisters continued walking, stepping to his right as if he were just a rock in the middle of the road.

'What in the hell?'

Maybe they were so involved in their conversation that they hadn't heard him? Yeah that had to be it. After all who could actually ignore such an amazing Ninja as himself?

So Jiraiya tried again, once more leaping directly into the girl's path. Before taking a huge breath to loudly proclaim himself

"I said… BEHOLD THE AMAZING AND GALIANT JIRAIYA, LEGENDARY TOAD SAGE, WRITER OF THE GREATEST NOVELS OF ALL TIME, AND WORLD CLASS PERVERT HAS APPEARED!"

"We heard you the first time." The redhead's monotone called out, immediately bringing a halt to the man's excitement.

"Uh of course you did! If that is so why did you ignore more amazing entrance?"

"We've seen better." The blonde replied, her tone just slightly more interested than her sister's

"B-b-b-but I worked really hard on that…" The white haired man pouted, as he sat down in a corner and began to cry in a depressed tone.

Instead of comforting him, or smacking him like so many others had, the two Kunoichi just continued down the street, further irritating the Shinobi.

"Excuse me where the heck are you two going?"

"To train."

"Train eh? Well I suppose if you ask really nicely and can impress me then I can…" the two girls hadn't even stopped walking…. They were ignoring him!

This time he jumped in front of them with emphasis.

"Why do I get the feeling that you two are ignoring me…."

"Probably because we are trying to do so. If you could stop interrupting our training time though it would be appreciated though." Akane responded, before attempting to step around the man again with her sister, but this time Jiraiya wasn't having it, and stepped to block her path.

"Why are you ignoring me?"

The two girls became deathly serious as they stared back at the man.

"Why did you ignore us?" Surprisingly it was the blonde that replied, in a tone harsher than Jiraiya would have thought capable of the energetic blonde.

"What are you talking about? I was the one trying to introduce myself and you kept walking around me!" The older man lamented, his mind was busy trying to figure out what the heck the two Genin were talking about.

"Not today, she means why have you ignored us our entire lives _until_ today, 'Godfather'." The redhead practically spat out the last word, as if it was poison.

The Sage froze. Sarutobi had ensured him that they were unaware of their origins, unless the two older Kunoichi had said something. But even then he was expecting them to have confronted the Hokage rather than him.

"Wh-what do…"

"It was surprisingly hard to track down any kind of information on our parentage, even the hospitals confidential files listed us as unknown orphans. Interestingly enough though they listed our legal guardian as two of the three Sannin, Jiraiya and Tsunade." The more mature of the two females replied, glaring at the man who stood before them.

"Oh… uh well you see I had a spy network, and research, and…"

"So your just another adult who makes excuses on why we are too far down on the list to take notice of. If that's the case then leave, onee-chan and I have done fine without you for our lives up until now and we certainly don't need anything that you can teach us now, especially since it just so happens that you show up when we start showing skill as Ninja. It just shows that we are only seen as tools to you."

"NO, I mean... Your right, I have been a crappy guardian, I'm not asking you to forgive me just…. Can I have a chance to make it up to you? Maybe spend some time with you both?"

The two glanced between each other before a subtle nod from Natsuko gained a sigh of defeat from her sister.

"Alright, but we do have a few stipulations."

Jiraiya fist pumped into the air, as he gave out a shout of victory.

 _***TRwP***_

"Alright then the first part of your training will involve the two of you signing the LEGENDARY TOAD SUMMONING CONTRACT!" Jiraiya exclaimed as the three Ninja sat just outside the main part of the village.

"Really? AWESOME!" the blonde happily replied as the man summoned a small toad who produced the scroll.

Suddenly Natsuko stopped, just short of signing the large item, and glanced over to her sister.

"Ummmm this is a Ninjutsu correct?"

"But of course! I JIRAIYA THE LEGENDARY SAGE am an expert at Ninjutsu. I have so many things to teach you two!"

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea…" the normally perky sister mumbled out, as she pulled back a bit.

"Wha-what do you mean?" the larger man stuttered out, hoping he hadn't forgotten something and lost his chance with the two girls.

"It's just that…."

"I cannot do Ninjutsu or Genjutsu."

The Shinobi quirked his eyebrow in curiosity, "What do you mean 'you can't'. You have the Chakra for it I can sense it from here, all you need is the proper…"

"It won't work, Hokage-Dono confirmed it. My Chakra is too dense to be used and shaped like that. But don't worry about me, go ahead and sign the contract Natsuko. Just because I can't doesn't mean you shouldn't."

"But Akane-chan…"

Meanwhile the Sage was fuming. His Sensei had always replied to his inquiries about the two with nothing but positives, he never mentioned anything like this.

"Oh Akane-chan what about…."

"No Natsuko."

"But…

"I said no."

"What are you two talking about?"

The older man interrupted the two girls, as the blonde looked shyly between her sister and Godfather.

"Akane-chan does have one really amazing talent that we haven't told anyone about and maybe…"

"That's because it is too rare of a skill, besides a Ninja should never give away all their secrets."

"Akane, if there is something I can help you with I would be honored to try. I promise you both that I will not speak a word of it to anyone, including the Hokage."

"Please Akane-chan?" The blonde looked toward her sister, and widened her eyes pitifully.

'Oh no…. the _Puppy eye Jutsu_ …' Jiraiya thought, already fearing what the adorable blonde could do with it.

"I said no Natsuko…."

"P-Please….." The girls lip began to twitch slightly, and she sniffled a bit.

' _Puppy eye Jutsu: stage two_! Good Kami in heaven who taught her that!?'

"That isn't going to work on me Natsuko…"

Tears began forming at the young girl's eyes as a slight whimper escaped her throat.

'S-S-Stage three!' The Sannin looked on in horror, before starting to go through his inventory of items and Jutsu, seeking to give the teenager something to cheer her up.

"Fine…."

"YAY!"

"Stupid Jutsu should be labeled as 'forbidden'." The redhead muttered to herself as she glanced toward the still panicking Shinobi.

"Before we talk about this though, I have a request for you, and a condition for all of this."

"Wha? Uh sure yeah of course!"

"What we are going to reveal, and what will most likely be revealed during the exam… is going to change everything. I want you to swear that if things take a turn for the worst, you will take Natsuko out of this village, no matter what you might be ordered to do."

A second later the redhead produced two scrolls, before handing them to the man.

After unraveling them the man's eyes widened in shock, only to receive nods of confirmation from both girls.

The man's gaze hardened before giving a nod.

"I swear on my life, my pride, and my soul that I won't let anything happen to you two."

"Thank you."

"ALRIGHT THEN LET'S SIGN THIS SCROLL!"

The blonde happily complied and the small toad nodded before disappearing.

"Alright then all you have to do now is summon a toad and boom we are in business. Don't worry if you can't summon a very large one, once we work on harnessing the Kyuubi's Chakra…"

The two girls became deathly quiet, earning another strange look from the man.

"Is everything alright?"

"I refuse to do anything concerning that abomination."

Jiraiya looked at the redhead, a bit confused before slowly nodding his head.

"Ummmm okay…. That's understandable what about…"

"I can already use Kyuubi-chan's Chakra."

The man face faulted.

Did a Genin just call the Nine Tailed Fox 'Kyuubi-chan'?

"Wait you said you can already harness it?"

"Yup!"

"Uh… could I see?"

The blonde nodded happily before a shroud of red energy swirled around her, forming one tail and distorting the girl's appearance.

Then another tail formed.

The Chakra was beginning to become overwhelming as the man called a halt, fearing any notice from the village.

"That's…. incredible! I am a bit curious as to why you don't seem to be upset that your sister is using the Chakra though Akane."

"Because she has the Yin half."

The Sannin stared at the girl blankly for a moment.

"Uhm… what?"

"Natsuko has the Yin half of the Kyuubi sealed inside of her, it contains reason and compassion along with half its Chakra. I have the Yang half, which is more or less evil and rage."

"Oh…. Ummmmm I'm sorry…."

"It isn't your fault."

"Well then go ahead and summon…"

" _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_

"JIRAIYA, WHY HAVE YOU SUMMONED ME!"

The old man paled as the Toad boss himself appeared.

 _***TRwP***_

"Hinata-chan what's wrong?" Natsuko inquired, after opening the door and seeing her teammate on the other side, her eyes red from crying and worry.

"N-Natsuko-chan I-I didn't know where to go…"

"Come on in."

The Hyuga slowly entered the apartment, and nearly wept at what she saw.

The living conditions were terrible even by slum standards. There were holes in the walls, cracks in the ceiling, the furniture was falling apart, and the lights flickered near constantly.

"What happened Hinata-chan?"

Turning around the pale eyed girl could only give the blonde a shocked expression, before bursting into tears.

The blonde looked so worried for her teammate, so utterly concerned for another human being when she lived in such terrible conditions.

How could anyone ever hate someone who was that pure? How could anyone ever even assume that such a girl was a demon in disguise?

"Natsuko, what's wrong?" a tired voice called out as Akane walked out from where she had been resting.

Hinata raised her head and looked towards the other Uzumaki sister, and immediately her heart wrenched in pain once more. The girl looked worse, if that was even possible, than the Byakugan wielder did.

Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was a mess, she looked…. exhausted.

"I-I'm sorry I-I d-didn't realize th-that I was in-interrupting… I-I need to go…." But before she could take a step Akane had already crossed the distance, with speed that still shocked Hinata no matter how many times she had seen the redhead move, and lightly grabbed ahold of the Hyuga.

"Hinata… what's wrong?"

The poor girl looked up into the two sisters faces, and saw nothing but worry and concern.

Concern for her…

Hinata broke down again.

 _***TRwP***_

After explaining the situation involving her clan and their decision, along with another ten minutes of sobbing, Hinata finally reached a point of resting quietly on one of the few 'comfortable' couch cushions.

Akane was making some tea for comfort.

Natsuko was busy glancing between the two girls, worry evident in every direction her gaze fell.

"So what are we going to do Akane-chan?" Natsuko called out.

Hinata immediately noticed the change and glanced between the two.

"I-is everything okay Natsuko-chan?"

"Obviously not if you are sobbing Hinata-chan, that's why I want to see if my sister has any ideas."

The redhead had paused, while waiting for the tea kettle to finish heating, a contemplative expression on her face.

"Obviously we aren't going to let those bastards do that to you or your sister Hinata, the question now is how do we stop them from even attempting it…"

"We could try our backup plan." The blonde suggested, earning a curious gaze from the Hyuga.

"A nice idea but it's too early I think. Plus I doubt Hanabi would be able to handle it."

Natsuko nodded before going back to her 'adorable' thinking pose.

The tea was finished moments after and Akane had poured three cups full shortly afterwards.

Just as HInata was taking a sip Natsuko let out a triumphant cry.

"I GOT IT, WE THREATEN THE BASTARDS!"

The pale eyed Kunoichi began coughing violently, not just from the startling shout but also from what was just implied. Did the Uzumaki really believe they could just threaten one of the most powerful clans in Konoha?

"Natsuko-chan I don't think that…."

"Actually that sounds like a pretty good idea." The redhead chimed in, earning a shocked gasp from her teammate.

"You two can't be serious right? I mean what can we threaten the entire Hyuga clan with?"

"Oh we won't threaten the entire clan just the Main clan." Akane corrected, as a smirk slowly formed on her face.

***A/N***


	11. Plans for the Future (revised)

**Sum of our Parts**

Plans for the Future

***Nothing claimed, nothing received. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

Hinata Hyuga had stayed late into the evening, just talking and catching up with her teammates, it had been a long time since they had some down time to just relax and it was refreshing to say the least.

The two Uzumaki sisters had even insisted on the pale eyed girl spending the night, not wanting her to travel back to her compound alone at night, especially with all the hostile Ninja in the village.

This had lead to some slightly awkward sleeping arrangements, at least for Hinata. The two sisters had always shared a bed, since their cramped apartment only had one bedroom, which meant that the Hyuga found herself lying between her two crushes.

To make matters worse Natsuko had taken to the idea of dressing in fairly revealing clothing for her sleepwear, hence the slightly too short tank top, short shorts… and nothing else.

Akane wore a black jumpsuit type of attire, and Hinata had gotten away with just taking off her jacket to remain comfortable.

At first Hinata had found lying between the two girls to be quite… soothing, and had fallen asleep early on thanks to the warmth that the two created.

Unfortunately she had awoken in the middle of the night when the blonde had rolled over to face the poor girl.

They were so close, her and Natsuko, a foot apart at most. Close enough that she could feel the blonde's breath on her face, on her lips.

Her thoughts flashed back to that time in the forest, when she had been so close to her other idol… to her other secret crush. That incident, merely a few days prior, was now burned into the shy girl's mind as she remembered her hesitance, the fear that froze her in place rather than allowing her to close that small gap, to taste the lips she had dreamed about for so long.

Now she had a second chance, Kami had seen fit to give her another roll of the dice to make her dreams and fantasies come true.

But what if she was rejected? What if Akane found out and was either angry towards Hinata for coming onto her sister or even jealous? What if by doing this one simple act she lost out on any potential future she had with the redhead.

Worse still, what if they both rejected her as a freak? Same sex relationships weren't necessarily uncommon among Ninja, but they were frowned upon in major clans, who sought to continue their bloodlines through children. The two Uzumaki might feel betrayed if she did such a thing, especially to one who was asleep.

If only there was a way to subtly wake the blonde up, to see in her eyes whether she would reciprocate the pale eyed girl's feelings. To know how the redhead and her own family would react.

Not that she cared about how the Hyuga would react at this point, in fact she secretly hoped that they would, perhaps they would banish her and Hanabi and the two could live free, maybe even work with her two teammates to purchase a small house together.

Maybe the two girls wouldn't mind sharing….

But the first step had to be taken, and in a surge of confidence Hinata leaned forward, pushing the gap to less than an inch from the young girl's lips, her soft inviting lips.

There she froze again though, self-doubt roaring through her mind and paralyzing her body.

Tears formed at her eyes as she silently cursed her weakness. Would this be her fate, to forever watch from afar while others were able to find their happiness? Would she forever be alone due to her own insecurity and pity?

A silent sob escaped her lips as she backed down, her confidence evaporating and returning her to the distance she had started at.

"If only…" Hinata whispered out, before a slight sob raked her body but this time she held it in, refusing to show any more pain in front of these two statues of strength, these two women who had been through so much and yet still endured, the two Kunoichi whom gave her strength and hope even when she could find none.

Opening her eyes again the Hyuga let out a quiet gasp, as a pair of sky blue eyes stared back into her own, a bit of sadness in them.

"N-Natsuko…"

"You were so close this time Hinata…"

"I-I-I"

"Did you really think Akane-chan didn't notice during the forest? Did you really think we never noticed how you would stare at us, taking in our bodies with those eyes of yours?"

"I-I'm s-sorry I didn't…"

"Take a chance Hinata-chan, you might be surprised at what happens." The blonde whispered out, further encouraging the still timid girl.

Hinata managed a slow nod, before attempting to close the distance once more, her eyes slowly closing as she made it…. almost to the young girls mouth. This time she could feel the very slight contact between the two, but the voice in her head that always held her back was shouting louder than ever, warning about the consequences of such behavior, dreading what might happen to the team she now depended on more than ever.

Natsuko apparently did not have such a voice, and pushed forward, connecting the two.

To say Hinata was in bliss was to say that the Uchiha and Hyuga were arrogant.

The girl had never experienced such a feeling before, such a connection with another human being. The warmth, the emotion that the smaller girl poured into the kiss was mind numbing to put it lightly.

The young blonde tasted sweet, a bit like strawberries.

It was beautiful, a moment she wished to freeze in time.

All too quickly the two had to halt their embrace, gasping for breath. The slight blush on the blonde's face made her even more attractive, if that were possible, to the Hyuga.

"That was…." Hinata tried, but failed, to put words with the experience.

"Wow" Natsuko summed it up quite nicely.

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around the pale eyed girl's waste, as another body was pressed against her from behind.

"Hey Akane-chan, I was wondering when you would run out of patience."

"I was wondering when Hinata was going to pay me some attention as well, I was hoping she would take the initiative herself but apparently giving that final push does help."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock, as she let out the terrified breath she was holding, the girl tilted her head just enough to see the redhead's lips, before they captured her own from the side.

Akane was a bit more aggressive than Natsuko, and had a more distinctive taste, but Hinata enjoyed the moment all the same.

Again that breathtaking feeling consumed her, as Akane went even further, and began tracing her tongue over the Hyuga's teeth.

Just as Hinata opened her mouth she felt a pair of small, yet delicate hands begin sliding up under her shirt, higher and higher until….

Hinata shot straight up in the bed, as the morning light began pouring into the room. The Kunoichi was covered in sweat and quickly glanced around, confused as to her unfamiliar surroundings.

After a moment or so she realized that she was in the bedroom of her two teammates, and was alone, if the noises from the kitchen were an indicator the two sisters had begun breakfast.

The disappointed girl let out a groan and fell back onto the bed. It had all been a dream.

 _***SooP***_

"Kiba would you come in here please?" The Inuzuka clan head commanded, earning a frightful appearance from her son.

"Y-yeah mom what…. oh hey Hana." Kiba slowly entered the room before standing before the two, notably angry, Kunoichi.

"So uh what did you want to talk about?"

"Your actions during the Chunin exams." The elder woman briefly answered, earning a flinch from the boy.

"I'm sorry I lost, I thought for sure that…"

"You stupid brat we don't care that you lost!" Hana interrupted, losing her temper towards the Genin.

"Y-you don't?"

"Of course not Kiba, it was your first attempt at the exams, the fact that you made it to the third stage was impressive enough."

"Then why…"

"Your actions during the match you had with the Uzumaki girl…"

Kiba suddenly found the floor very interesting as he stared downwards avoiding the angered gaze of the two experiences Ninja.

"Wh-what about it?"

"What the hell do you mean what about it?" The boy's sister roared out in rage. "What you did, tried to do, threatened to do! I ought to beat you myself!"

"Hana! That is enough, but she is correct Kiba. Your actions during that match were reprehensible to say the least. The fact that you nearly sexually assaulted a fellow Konoha Genin, one of your classmates no less is… disgusting. You have been conducting yourself in a way that brings shame to the clan as a whole, to you, and to us by extension."

"B-but I was only acting like…"

"Like one of those disgusting Shinobi from Kumo or Iwa!" The matriarch interrupted, immediately shutting the boy up.

"The fact of the matter is, dear brother that you have done a terrible thing, and you will be punished accordingly. Mother and I do not care for this attitude you have developed, and we had been hoping that your time as a Genin would have cleared it up but we were obviously wrong. Thus for the next month you and Akamaru will be undertaking some 'rehabilitation'. When the exams resume you will be given a chance to watch your team and classmates participate should we deem you fit. If however you are still showing signs of this behavior… we will be looking into more long term solutions, even removal from the Shinobi program."

"WHAT!? You can't be serious!"

"We are very serious Kiba your actions have shown that you cannot be responsible towards your own potential teammates. Tell me exactly what do you expect would happen if you were to be paired up with one of those two girls in the future for a mission? Would you try and assault them again? Do you honestly believe they would be able to trust you in any way shape or form?" Tsume resumed.

"You won't always be paired with Team seven Kiba, and I know that if I were in their shoes I would never be able to go on a mission with you, I could never trust you after what you did. So part of the punishment mother and I have decided upon is that you will be seeking out both of their forgiveness for what you have done. Until then you will not be permitted to retake the Chunin exams or be on a mission involving anyway besides your team. We will be speaking with your Sensei and the Hokage about this later today." Hana finished glaring at her brother in contempt.

"I understand…"

"Good, first things first though we will be undertaking your punishment. Your opportunities to apologize will begin in a week, until then Kiba… prepare yourself."

The Inuzuka gulped at what he knew would be coming next.

 _***SooP***_

"Hey Lee-kun!" Natsuko shouted happily as the two sisters passed the downtrodden boy who had been making his way toward a nearby training ground.

"Oh, hello Natsuko-chan and Akane-chan how are you two doing today?"

"We are doing awesome Lee-kun! What's wrong?" The blonde inquired, after noticing his mood.

"Nothing, Gai-Sensei is training Neji-san today and so I have been working by myself. I am not sure why he continues to spend time trying to train me though, since I am no longer in the exam."

"He still sees potential in you Lee-san, we all do. Do not give up from one defeat."

"I suppose you are right Akane-chan, I wish you two the best of luck with your matches." The boy turned to walk away but was interrupted by the redhead.

"Lee-san, would you have time for a spar? I wouldn't want to get rusty before my match and you are one of the few who can actually push to my limits."

The boy smiled back, realizing what the two were doing, and grateful for it.

"YOSH! Indeed Akane-chan let us push our flames of youth to even greater heights!"

The redhead smiled, before adopting a combat stance, while Natsuko moved off the battlefield, happy for her sister.

 _***SooP***_

"So tell me about your skill in Fuinjutsu Akane." Jiraiya practically demanded, after showing Naruko the basics of the Rasengan and having her practice nearby.

"I have a few things I am working on that I hope will surprise everyone."

"Oh? Listen as skilled as I assume you are I can assure you that the Hokage and I have seen a lot more than you can imagine. I doubt anything would surprise me at this point."

"Care to make a bet on that Jiraiya-Sama?"

 _***SooP***_

Meanwhile in the Hokage's tower the third was currently glaring at a large stack of paperwork, hoping he would develop a bloodline late in life that would allow his gaze to set it on fire, when his inner danger senses began going haywire. He quickly located his crystal ball and scryed to where his student was training the two Uzumaki sisters, and his eyes opened wide in horror at the conversation.

"Don't do it Jiraiya…"

 _***SooP***_

"Hmmmm I don't know, what are we betting?"

"I wager that in one month I can create something with Fuinjutsu that will amaze you."

"Alright brat you're on."

 _***SooP***_

"NO DON'T DO IT JIRAIYA IT'S A TRICK, A TRICK I SAY!" The old man shouted at the crystal sphere, hoping that his apprentice might pick up on the dangerous situation he found himself in.

 _***SooP***_

"What are the stakes?"

"If I win, you have to train Natsuko and I as much as possible, and that means that you can't abandon us to do any of your 'research'…. ever."

The Sannin gulped in hesitation. Sure he was a seal master the likes of which the world hadn't seen since the Uzumaki or until his own apprentice… but this girl was not only his daughter, but an Uzumaki to boot. Fuinjutsu practically ran in her blood.

Still though, she was only a Genin, and from what he had been told had received no training in the art from Kakashi or his Sensei. How much progress could she make in only a month?

"Alright, but those are some pretty high ones, what do I get when I win?"

The redhead ignored the man's confidence before adopting a thinking pose.

"Hey Akane-chan what about getting him into the Annual Kunoichi Hot Spring Convention?"

The pervert's nose practically erupted in blood.

That was the Holy Grail for all perverted men, an annual gathering of Kunoichi from allied nations to a secret hot spring to relax and talk amongst each other, thereby helping to ease any tension between the nations and promote good will.

It was supposed to only be a myth, a legend told in bars and brothels to get eager clients 'excited' faster and to spur them to spread the word around their friends and teammates.

If it did exist, and the two sisters could smuggle Jiraiya in… he would have enough material to write his greatest story ever, he would be rich and famous beyond compare!

 _***SooP***_

Back at the Hokage's tower, Sarutobi was having second thoughts himself, sure he remembered the lesson he had recently instilled in himself 'never bet against Akane' but regardless. Such an opportunity would make his student the thing of legends, not to mention that Jiraiya would owe the old man a favor for bringing him back for the Chunin exams in the first place.

The thoughts of a limited first edition gold embroidered Icha Icha novel appeared in the old man's head, who began to snicker diabolically at the thought, thereby ignoring the warning bells that continued ringing in his head.

 _***SooP***_

"Deal! This is going to be the crowning achievement of my life!"

The two Uzumaki sisters sent each other a silent smirk, before continuing on their training.

 _***SooP***_

"Where do you think you're going Hayate?" His purple haired lover inquired, as he snuck towards the door of their apartment.

"Uhhh I wanted to go out and do a patrol tonight, with some many enemy Ninjas in the area…"

"You should not be patrolling alone, besides isn't tomorrow morning one of your promised training sessions with Akane? You know how strong she has gotten recently, you really should stay in…. and rest" The tone that Yugao gave though implied anything but rest for the rest of that night and the Jonin knew it.

His mind warred between the bad feeling he had in his gut and staying here, where it was safe. Eventually he relented as his thoughts passed over the girl who had slowly made her way into the two Ninja's hearts like a daughter.

They had both secretly agreed that perhaps starting a family wouldn't be so bad, especially if they could have children like the two Uzumaki sisters, fiercely loyal towards each other and yet compassionate when you looked in the right spots.

The Kunoichi gave a sultry smile, before taking hold of the man's hand and leading him back into their shared bedroom, for a night that would be filled with less sleep than she had originally suggested he have.

 _***SooP***_

"So what can I get for you two?" The elderly man inquired, as Anko and Kurenai sat down at the ramen stand.

"Do you have any dango by chance?"

"Anko…."

"What? Kurenai-chan I'm hunnnnnnnnngry." The snake mistress emphasized in a pathetic tone.

The red eyed Jonin merely shook her head towards her friend before turning back to the owner of Ichiraku and his daughter who had just come in from the kitchen.

"Actually we are here for some information we understand that the two Uzumaki sisters come here quite often."

The man's eyes narrowed dangerously, as he gripped a nearby kitchen knife, while Ayame took a step back towards the back in worry.

"I don't know who you mean we have a lot of regular customers after all."

"I don't mean them any harm I assure you, I am their Jonin Sensei, Kurenai and this is my friend Anko."

"Look I am sure you are who you say but I still don't know who you are speaking of. If you are their Sensei as you _claim_ to be then you should go talk to them rather than us."

The emphasis was not lost on the Jonin and she frowned, apparently there had been others posing as the girl's friends or teachers in hopes of getting information on them.

"We…"

"We can't go to them, not about this. The Hokage directed us here to get some information about something that happened to them a few years ago. He said that you two might know more about the incident so we were just hoping to find out if that was true."

"You mean… that month?"

The two Jonin turned towards the, until now, silent Ayame.

"What do you mean 'that month'?"

The girl glanced at her father, who nodded slightly allowing her to continue.

"Years ago Natsuko came in here, desperate for help. She said that her sister had been kidnapped and that the Hokage wasn't in the village. We helped her look for hours but never found her. We searched every day for an entire month."

"What changed?" Kurenai prodded, urging the girl to continue.

"Natsuko found her."

"Do you know where?"

The girl slowly shook her head.

"No, but after that…. Akane wasn't the same. She was so quiet, so drawn in and secretive. She became so protective of Natsuko. They rarely left each other's sides after that month."

"Did Akane ever say anything about what happened?"

"No, I tried asking her once but she shut down immediately. I could see the pain in her eyes though." Teuchi replied as he stared off into space as if remembering the past.

"That was also when her outfit changed." Ayame remarked, drawing confused glances from the two Jonin.

"What do you mean?" Anko inquired.

"Well before she wore bright colors like her sister, and dressed similarly as well. Afterwards though well she dressed like she does now, covered up and often wearing darker colors."

Kurenai thought back, and practically slammed her head down on the counter in agitation. She had never realized that Akane had _always_ been covered up, never showing any skin below her face. It was like she was hiding something.

"Thank you both for your help, we are trying to help them and… well we just didn't know where to start." Kurenai responded before standing to leave with her friend.

"I wouldn't start there if I were you." The owner called out, bringing the two to a halt before he continued on. "Like I said when I tried she shut down immediately, as far as I know she never even told her sister what happened during those weeks. Whatever it was…. it broke that poor girl."

The two Kunoichi nodded and thanked the two again before departing both trying to hide the worry on their faces.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright Hinata, let's go over a few more Ninjutsu scrolls I grabbed from the library." Kurenai commanded, as she pulled out half a dozen items from her supply bag.

"While I appreciate the help what about Anko-chan and Natsuko-chan, shouldn't they be part of this training too?"

"Normally we would Hinata, or at least find another exercise for them to be doing. But they have a different teacher for this month, someone who owes them this time and more. Plus as much as I hate to say it, you might be going up against one of them during the finals and joint training would interfere with that."

"B-but I don't want to fight them, they are practically the only two friends I have…"

"Listen Hinata-chan, we don't always get a choice in who we are forced to fight as Ninja. Just remember that this wouldn't be a fight to the death or anything. Think of it more as a spar between teammates."

"I don't know Anko-Sensei…. I don't think I could bring myself to harm either of them."

"Oh, that doesn't have anything to do with some unresolved feelings you have would it?" Anko teased, earning a blush from the Genin.

"I-I-I d-don't know wh-what you mean…."

"Of course not, we are just talking here after all. I mean it's not like you ever think about the two of them with considerably less clothing on…."

"I-I…"

"Or maybe the two of them, pressed up against each other. Their lips running along each other's skin sensually before Natsuko takes the initiative and slowly removes Akane's shirt, showing off her toned muscles but still creamy white skin. Then it is Akane's turn as she…"

A soft thump alerts the two Jonin to a passed out Hyuga, with blood running from her nose, and her face red enough to match Kurenai's eyes.

"Well I guess that solves the mystery on whether or not Hinata has feelings for the two gakis."

"Yes it does, and now we have an entirely new set of problems and issues to deal with."

"Aww come on Kurenai-chan you know you love me and my ways."

"You mean I put up with you…"

"I bet I could make you moan that out if you give me two minutes." Anko spoke out huskily as she slowly made her way behind the other Kunoichi, and gently ran her hands up the woman's sides.

Kurenai let out an 'eep' worthy of Hinata, before putting some distance between the two, her blush threatening to go volcanic as well.

Anko just laughed.

 _***SooP***_

The two Inuzuka stood facing the entirety of Team eight, along with Anko.

The air was thick with tension from the members of the all Kunoichi group.

Anko felt like snarling at the boy who had behaved the way he had towards her self-proclaimed little sisters.

"Go on Kiba," Hana whispered, nudging the downtrodden boy forward.

"Ummmm listen Natsuko. I just wanted to apologize for what I did during our match. The way I acted was inexcusable and I am sorry for it. My mother and sister are currently working with me to help correct this problem."

"He will not be allowed to take part of any team activities until we deem him 'fixed'." Hana interjected.

Kurenai and Anko nodded slowly, while the blonde's two teammates had drawn noticeably closer to the girl, but about a step in front of her.

"We have also spoken with his Sensei about the matter he is going to be keeping a close eye on Kiba especially around Sakura and any other Kunoichi. The Hokage has approved of my mother's request that he will not be permitted to work with any member of your team until all of the parties involved are satisfied."

"Yeah…" Kiba muttered out, trying not to make eye contact with any of the women.

As much as Hana wanted her little brother to be forgiven, she could see the mistrust in all three Genin's eyes opposing them, a mistrust that would not be easily mended.

"Inuzuka"

The boy raised his head slightly to look at the redhead, who stared right back into his eyes.

"Stay away from my sister," The girl replied, before turning her head slightly towards the older Kunoichi who met her gaze curiously.

"If I he comes within ten feet of her I will cut off something that he _will_ miss."

Hana just gulped, as throughout Konoha all men visibly flinched for an unknown reason.

 _***SooP***_

"Otouto," The older Sharingan wielder called out, gaining the attention of both Sasuke and Kakashi, who had been busy training for the Genin's 'inevitable' match against Gaara.

"Ah Itachi-san what can we do for you today?" Kakashi waved happily.

"Kakashi-san, I came to check on Sasuke's training, I understand he will be facing Akane Uzumaki in the first match.

"Yes, but more imminent is his eventual battle against Gaara, the boy is dangerous."

"Yes he is, but first Sasuke must win until that match. Are you preparing him for those battles as well?"

"Hn, I don't need any help dealing with the Uzumaki or the Hyuga. The Uchiha are superior to both of them, especially the orphan."

Itachi's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Do not underestimate your opponents Otouto, just because she does not have a bloodline does not mean that she is not formidable, if I recall correctly she saved your life during a mission."

"Only because I did not have the Sharingan at the time, now that I do I will be unstoppable. After all, the only one who can beat an Uchiha is another Uchiha."

The older boy let out a sigh he had been hoping that being part of a Genin team with Kakashi would have pushed this attitude out of his younger brother.

"Mah mah, don't forget Sasuke-kun the Sharingan is only a tool, do not make it into a crutch for your opponents to exploit." The Sensei reminded, earning a dismissive grunt for his efforts.

A small signal from the older Uchiha gained Kakashi's attention and he nodded in reply.

"Alright Sasuke, go work on Lee's fighting style for a bit, I need to have a word with your brother."

"Whatever…"

Once the two experienced Shinobi were alone Itachi glared at the silver haired man, "I thought you would be teaching him how to combat each of his potential opponents, not just the end game."

"You worry too much Itachi-san, besides Sasuke is a prodigy just like you are. Akane and Neji are both extremely limited in their ability to fight at anything besides close range so as long as Sasuke can keep his distance he will be fine. Plus once I am done with him Sasuke will be the fastest Genin there."

"You are underestimating them Kakashi-san."

"I know the girl is good Itachi-san but I don't see her posing a major threat to him, once his body catches up with his eyes he will be a force to be reckoned with. I am also working on awakening his fully matured Sharingan before the months end."

"And what happens if she figures out a way around it? You do know who is training her correct?"

"Jiraiya, I know. But Jiraiya's main specialty is in Ninjutsu which she either can't use or that Sasuke can copy and use it for his advantage. Face it Itachi we both know that the Sharingan will be the deciding factor in their match."

The raven haired boy merely sighed.

"You are just like Sasuke. You deem the Sharingan to be flawless and without equal, and it is that attitude that will be preyed upon."

"Why are you so worried about her Itachi-san?"

"Her reaction in the tunnel, it was disturbing to me."

"Yes it was, but I don't see why…"

"There is something she is hiding Kakashi-san, something dark and foreboding that I cannot see, something that causes me concern for my Otouto. He needs to be careful, not to push her during this match. If he does…. I don't know how she might react."

"You just let me worry about Sasuke okay? I promise you once the exam resumes he will be a force to be reckoned with."

The older Uchiha merely nodded before leaving the two Shinobi to continue their training, a feeling of dread filling his body for an unknown reason.

As the brother and sister pair left the training ground Hana placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, "Well I think that went well."

Kiba's stare implied the notion that his sister was either completely insane, or drunk.

"Wha-what the hell do you mean 'that went well'? She threatened to cut off my…."

"Exactly, she _threatened_ to cut it off, but she didn't outright do it, which is a positive no matter how you look at it."

The Genin just groaned.

 _***SooP***_

"So how do you think the two gaki's are doing Kurenai-Chan?"

"I'm sure they are fine Anko, even though I barely trust the pervert I did threaten him with putting him into permanent yaoi Genjutsu should he do anything inappropriate, and that's in addition to whatever Akane can come up with."

"Ouch, that's gotta be rough, but still…"

"They will be fine, besides Jiraiya is their godfather."

"Yeah I know I still worry about them though. Do you think they will be ready for their battles though? Both of them got rough opponents coming up."

"Are you kidding? Daughters of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina of the Bloody Smile, those two have the best non Kekkei Genkai related…." Kurenai froze, her eyes opened wide in horror.

"What is it Kurenai-chan? What's…. oh shit…"

The two Kunoichi stared into the pale eyes of the remaining member of Team eight, whose face was paralyzed in shock, her mouth practically on the ground.

"The Hokage is going to kill us…" Anko muttered out.

***A/N***

It's so much fun writing a lovesick Hinata's fantasies.

Just in case no one realized, that was the point in which Hayate was 'supposed' to have died in the manga/anime. I like him and Yugao too much to let him fall this time…

I know I haven't gone too much into anyone's training, but most of them will be like they were in canon. As for the ones that aren't…. well I don't want to spoil the surprises.

I hope all you fabulous readers enjoyed the chapter!


	12. Battles of Fate Pt 1

**Sum of our Parts**

Battles of Fate Pt. 1

***Nothing claimed, nothing received. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"Alright everyone the third part of the Chunin exams will now begin in earnest. First up is Sasuke Uchiha against Akane Uzumaki." Hayate called out as the much larger crowd roared in support for the boy.

Meanwhile Itachi just looked on in annoyance, had it truly gotten this bad where people would cheer for them even when there was no reason to, or was it just because his opponent was so hated?

The redhead had easily made her way down to the ring, ignoring the jeers directed towards her but giving a nod of thanks to the few who did praise her.

A minute passed, with just the Jonin and his pupil standing in the ring. Another minute passed and the crowd finally grew tired of shouting and simply waited in anticipation of the Uchiha's arrival.

"Is Sasuke Uchiha in the arena?" The proctor called out, earning a few murmurs from the various Ninja stationed in the crowd.

"I bet you he doesn't show up for at least another two hours, and that the Hokage lets him take his match as soon as he arrives." The Kunoichi muttered to the man standing next to her.

"Aww come on Akane, Hokage-Sama isn't _that_ bad…. Fine I bet you that if he doesn't show up in the next five minutes he will be disqualified."

Suddenly the elder Sarutobi's head perked up, his eyes flashing dangerously towards the two whispering Ninja.

"The stakes?"

"If I win you make Yugao and I dinner once a month for a year, candlelit and everything."

"And If I win you up my Kenjutsu training."

"Deal."

The redhead gave a slight smirk as they shook hands, while the Third Hokage merely groaned, already feeling a headache coming on from another person taking a bet with the young Uzumaki.

Five minutes passed and the proctor cleared his throat, gaining the attention of those in attendance.

"Hokage-Sama, since the Uchiha is not present for his fight I recommend disqualification as per the rules of the exam."

'Nothing wrong with helping my side a bit….'

The aged man stood up and glanced around at the various clan heads and Ninja assembled before he prepared to speak, before being interrupted by the Kazekage.

"Perhaps we should postpone the Uchiha's match Hokage-Sama? Surely a large number of people came to witness him and since he is the 'Rookie of the year' he has most certainly earned a reprieve don't you think?"

The various nods from the council members and various others in the stadium seemed to support the other man's claim.

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a deep sigh before nodding in reluctance.

"The match between Sasuke Uchiha and Akane Uzumaki will be postponed until the former arrives at the stadium, at which point it will begin at the opportune time."

Hayate swore

Akane merely shrugged before walking back to her teammates, ignoring the Hokage's subtle attempts at gaining her permission to apologize.

Itachi's eyes narrowed, this was not supposed to be how any clan was treated in the village, and if the roles had been reversed the ANBU had the feeling that Akane would have been immediately disqualified.

 _***SooP***_

"Will Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga please make their way to the center of the ring." The Jonin growled out, still upset at the treatment that had been 'earned' by Sasuke.

The two pale eyed warriors entered from opposite sides of the ring, and stood, glaring at each other, several feet apart.

"Same rules as the preliminaries use anything you want. The match ends when one of you is unconscious, forfeits, or is killed. If I say the match ends, it stops immediately."

The two Genin nodded in acceptance before the man leapt backwards, signaling the start of the battle. Both activated their Dojutsu's and then began a stare down, neither making a sound as the chatter about the previous situation quickly lead to silence throughout the arena.

Hinata knew she couldn't lose, not with the head of the Hyuga household watching, expecting her to fail. Not with her sister standing alongside her team, silently cheering her on. Not with her teammates by her side, offering her the encouragement and strength she never knew she was capable of.

Hinata struck first, flowing through a series of hand signs and series of water bullets towards her opponent

 _Water Style: Water Bullet_

The Hyuga prodigy effortlessly dodged out of the path, and closed the distance between them in a moment, his hand outstretched to deliver a blow to his opponent's chest.

Hinata responded in a way no one save her own teammates had seen.

Her body flowed around the boy's arm.

Moving like water around a rock the Kunoichi was able to avoid the attack, and strike back at the offending arm with her fingertips, delivering a series of weakened Juken blows to Neji's Tenketsu.

Her style was far from being perfected, but it was still a dangerous combination that had never been seen before.

Neji pushed away from the girl, putting a few feet of distance between them before analyzing what had just occurred.

He had been struck, but he should not have been. He was trained better than this. His father had called him a prodigy, a genius the likes of which had not been seen in the Hyuga clan for generations, whereas Hinata was a failure.

Fate would not allow him to lose.

Again he shot forward, this time he would know what to look for but instead of the same tactic Hinata dodged again, while going through hand signs, allowing her to fire off a point blank blat of water, throwing the Shinobi backwards, and causing bruising along his torso.

 _"Water Style: Hand of Waves"_

Neji's invincible confidence was beginning to crack. The girl was focusing entirely on dodging rather than staying with the standard Hyuga dueling method of exchanging high paced blows.

He needed to force her into a situation where her agility would do no good, where she could not avoid him, a situation where she had to stand and fight.

An idea hit him and the prodigy again charged forward, but instead of attacking outright he held back, simply getting to within striking distance of his opponent.

Just as he planned she suddenly appeared unsure of herself, and failed to prepare any kind of counterattack. Allowing the boy to push her into what she had been trained to do from childhood, switch to the _Gentle Fist_ style.

Here Neji reigned supreme and began closing Hinata's Tenketsu at a rapid pace as the girl tried to put distance between the two or defend herself.

But it was all for naught and after a blow to her leg Hinata's retreat had been halted.

"You are within the field of my Divination, _Eight Trigrams, Sixty Four Palms_ "

Neji's hand's blurred into motion, beginning his assault. To his surprise Hinata stilled managed to flow around the first two strikes, then the next six. Afterwards his speed began making up for her defense and he connected, landing fifty of the sixty four total strikes.

 _***SooP***_

"Impressive, Hinata managed to develop her own style of the _Gentle Fist._ She even managed to dodge a decent portion of Neji's ultimate attack." Hizashi muttered to himself.

Meanwhile Hanabi gasped in horror as her sister was thrown to the ground.

 _***SooP***_

"Proctor call the match she will not be able to…"

"S-saying something Neji- _Sama_ " The young girl spat out as she struggled to her feet.

"Why do you continue to get up? No matter what you do the results will be the same."

"Maybe, but maybe not!"

 _"Lightning Style: Shogeki no te"_

Hinata pushed herself forward, her hands blazing with electric energy as she ignored the pain and protests that her Chakra system were throwing at her.

Neji's eyes widened in shock, before he realized what situation he was in, she had drenched him in water just like her preliminary match.

Even a glancing blow could prove devastating in her favor, meaning there was only one option.

 _"Eight Trigrams: Kaiten"_

Spinning rapidly Neji not only stopped the Kunoichi's advance, but threw her backwards with the force of his attack.

"An impressive trick Hinata had that attack reached me the tides of this battle _might_ have turned in your favor."

Hinata just spat some blood out onto the ground, before pulling herself once more to her feet.

"Why do you continue to get back up? The results will be the same as before."

Hinata glared before struggling through a series of hand signs and firing a bolt of electricity from her hand.

 _"Lightning Style: Thunder Bolt"_

Again Neji activated his 'perfect defense' sending the attack back towards its owner, who barely managed to avoid the backlash.

'What now? I cannot get through his defense and my body is already screaming at me to give up, just like always. What can I do? I thought that maybe after all this time I could surpass him but I am still a failure. I still let my team down. What if this had been a mission? What if he was going to attack my teammates next, what would I do then?' Hinata silently debated, as she glanced over at her team.

Natsuko was cheering for her as loudly as ever, Hanabi looked terrified for her, Kurenai's expression was half concern and half encouragement, and Akane's was….

'THAT'S IT!' Hinata's epiphany kicked in and her hands once again formed a familiar pattern, excitement once more coursed through her system as she realized what the answer to her dilemma was.

 _"Water Style: Hand of Waves"_

The blast of water shot towards her opponent, who spun once more, easily parting the burst but was unable to deflect it as with the lightning.

"I told you that won't…."

But once more he was forced to activate his defense, as the attack came again.

Again and again the Hyuga Kunoichi launched her attack towards the boy, each time the attack was a bit weaker though as her Chakra reserves began to dip.

 _***SooP***_

"What is she doing Kurenai-chan? At this rate she will use up her Chakra well before the spoiled brat does." Anko questioned, not understanding what the Genin was trying to accomplish.

"I don't know Anko she knows that her technique uses far more Chakra than his, along with his already higher reserves. It's almost as if she is…."

Kurenai's eyes shot open in understanding, before a slight smirk crossed her face.

'If this doesn't get her promoted I'm going to start wringing necks.' The Jonin Sensei pondered as she turned her attention back to her student.

 _***SooP***_

Finally Hinata collapsed, unable to continue her barrage, while Neji walked toward her, tired but still functional.

"What was the point of that? Why do you continue struggling when you know that you have no chance of victory?"

"You might be right, I have always been weak after all, and I have been reminded of it my entire life. That is until I met my team. With them I was able to grow strong and confident, I lost the stutter that once plagued me and I was able to feel good about myself for the first time in years. Even still I lagged behind the two, despite the fact I was one of the best Kunoichi in my class their strength was, is, awe inspiring."

"So you use them as a crutch." Neji analyzed, in a scolding tone.

"We rely on each other yes, but that is not something you understand Neji-Sama, because you deem yourself above your own team, you ignore them and thus you are weakened by it. I on the other hand only grow stronger with them, because of them."

"And what strength have you gained? You are still a failure I am still standing where you are on the ground."

"Perhaps," The girl chuckled, before slowly pushing herself up with her hand, struggling with every breath to return to her feet.

"But I see what even you have missed with your Byakugan."

"Oh, and what is that?"

Hinata glanced over to her team, and Neji followed her gaze, back to the cheering blonde, the panicked sister, the smugly grinning teacher and… oh no.

Suddenly the Nara's voice rang through Neji's head from a month ago, almost as if it had been trying to warn him of his folly.

 _***Flashback***_

The Nara posed for a minute, before giving his answer, "She was analyzing us."

The assembled Genin felt a shiver crawl down their spine's at his explanation.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"She was figuring out how each of us fought and developed even back in the Academy. When we were all busy doing homework, studying, and trying to go out on dates she was already acting like a Ninja. Even back then she marked us as threats to her and Natsuko, and began to plan accordingly."

"That's a bit… scary. But what does it matter? We have all changed since then." Kiba declared, trying to find his courage again.

"Yes you all have, but the fact of the matter is that Akane, despite being a Genius at hard work, also has another skill unlike anyone else I have ever encountered, a skill which could very easily make her one of the most dangerous Ninja alive."

The Genin turned towards the new voice, and saw Maito Gai walking closer towards them, while he kept watch on the two Genin's walking towards the ring below.

"What do you mean Gai-Sensei?"

"Akane Uzumaki has the unique ability of being able to analyze and adapt to situations and combat styles, she has been doing it with Lee during every spar they have had thus far. My guess is that she will eventually find a way to counter attack the _Strong Fist_ , if she hasn't already."

 _***End Flashback***_

The Hyuga realized too late what his opponent had done. She had forced him to use his technique over and over to allow her teammate time to analyze it. If the redhead won she would have a definitive advantage over him, now that she knew his two trump cards.

 _***SooP***_

Hizashi growled in anger at the Branch member's actions, before deciding on ending the battle before it could drag the Hyuga name any more through the mud. He quickly formed a hand sign and activated the _Caged Bird_ seal.

 _***SooP***_

Neji's eyes widened in shock as the seal on Hinata's forehead began to glow, her forehead protector having been thrown off after the first Kaiten attack.

'Who would…. Father!?' Neji had noticed the subtle movement his father had made with his Byakugan.

Instead of screaming in pain like the two expected, they were met with silence as Hinata continued to stand, and glare back at the Hyuga heir.

"B-but… how? You should be on the ground in pain!"

"I told you Neji-Sama I will not quit!"

"But the _Caged Bird_ Seal!"

Hinata blinked in confusion before noticing the glowing on her own forehead, apparently not having felt it activate.

"How's that for fate Neji-Sama?" the girl smirked, before falling over unconscious from Chakra exhaustion.

"Winner is Neji Hyuga." Hayate called out as a series of medics ran out to take care of the young Kunoichi.

 _***SooP***_

When Neji finally arrived in the observation area he immediately moved towards his father, intending on confronting the man for his interference.

He was beaten to it though by Kurenai.

"Hizashi you would have been trying to interfere with a Chunin's match would you? Doing so would immediately disqualify your son and probably bring quite a fair amount of shame upon the Main House, especially if your 'prodigies' cannot win a match by themselves."

The man just glared at the Kunoichi, realizing that he couldn't bring up why the seal hadn't worked without revealing his own participation.

It was something he would be getting to the bottom of though.

 _***SooP***_

"Next up is Shino Aburame against Gekido of Kumo"

As the two Shinobi made their way to the center of the ring the bug user paid close attention to his opponent.

He was an older, and obviously more experienced, Ninja who had a pair of odd looking gauntlets strapped to his forearms.

"Both sides ready? Hajime!"

As soon as Hayate was clear a faint buzz of static electricity was heard, and Shino immediately leapt back from his opponent, narrowly missing an attack meant to end the match quickly.

'So he is a close combat specialist as I thought.' The boy analyzed.

From the gauntlets the boy wielded came two blades made of crackling electric energy they were thin but wide and extended about six inches past the Kumo Ninja's knuckles.

'Best to keep this fight at range, I have no idea whether he is able to extend them even more.'

His opponent snarled in annoyance though and charged forward once more, trying to cut the Aburame into pieces.

Each time though Shino would dodge out of his path, although the lightning wielder was fast and strong he was sloppy, his movements designed more to just batter away at his opponent rather than any kind of tactical precision or control.

"Stand still so I can skewer you yah brat!" The man cried out, his rage getting the better of him as he once more charged forward angrily continuing his rant, while Shino kept a few feet out of his range.

After a somewhat close dodge Shino planted one of his insects on the man, intending to see whether or not the Chakra blades could be used as a counter for him. He was proven correct when the bug died before it was able to start its absorption.

It had however reported an interesting bit of information. Apparently the gauntlets were not just for show and actually stabilized and harnessed the boy's technique.

When his opponent charged forward again Shino intentionally drew in closer, and dropped a smoke bomb which covered the area.

A second later Gekido gave a shout of triumph as he located his enemy, and slashed through him, to find himself falling through a Bunshin. A second later two explosive tags had been planted on the teenagers weapons, causing them to explode violently and tearing up his arms.

The Kumo Ninja fell forward crying out in pain as he gazed down at his now heavily damaged limbs.

 _***SooP***_

"It looks like Shino has this won." Kurenai muttered as she observed with her team with the rest of Team ten standing nearby.

"Heck yeah! GO SHINO!" Ino shouted out, hoping to encourage one of the two teammates she still had in the competition.

"It's not over yet." A quiet voice called out from behind the Ninja, as Hinata slowly made her way to the railing, obviously still sore and tired from her battle.

"You should not be here Hinata, you should be resting still." The girl's Sensei reprimanded.

The Hyuga merely shook her head before looking down at the battle below.

"I am okay I just need to avoid using any Jutsu for a while."

"Here Hinata-chan you can lean on me if you are tired." The blonde Uzumaki offered, earning a blush from the pale eyed girl and a giggle from Anko.

 _***SooP***_

"Y-you think you're so damn smart don't use freak? Well guess what, you aren't! Just because you destroyed my weapons doesn't mean you won, I'll show you why Kumo is the strongest there is!" The injured boy roared out before going through a series of hand signs and wide arching blast of electricity towards his opponent.

 _"Lightning Style: Arc Flash"_

Shino managed to dodge the blow, but not completely as he felt his right arm and leg receive mild burns from the attack.

"HA not so good at dodging now are you? Now to finish you off!"

"I agree with you in one regard, it is time to end this." The stoic boy replied for the first time since the match began.

"What are you…."

The Kumo teen promptly fell down to his knees, gasping for breath as he felt his Chakra reserves dropping rapidly.

"What did you do?"

"You should have done more research on your opponent, the Aburame clan is well known for its use of the Kikaichu insects, they feed on Chakra after all. Do you really believe I would have given up such an opportunity to place them on you when you were blinded by the smoke?"

Gekido swore in rage, trying to stand up and attack the infuriating boy but found his energy almost completely gone.

"Forfeit or pass out, it matters little at this point." Shino declared in his patented monotone.

"SCREW YOU BUG FREAK!"

The boy passed out a moment later, the insects crawling out from their place on his back and returning to their owner.

 _***SooP***_

"The next match is between Fomu of Kiri and Dosu of Oto" the proctor declared.

 _***SooP***_

"Nice match Shino-San."

"Thank you Hinata-San, you did quite well yourself."

"Yes but I lost…"

"It doesn't matter Hinata-chan, all that matters is that you gave it your best shot. Neji-teme had an extra year of experience than you do and had more training so he already had an advantage." The Hyuga's blonde teammate chirped in, earning a nod from the redhead as well.

"Thank you"

 _***SooP***_

When the two Ninja arrived the Shinobi smirked, though it was hidden behind his wrappings. This would be one of the easier fights for him after all. He had been looking forward to a rematch with the Uchiha but had been unable to locate the boy's first opponent in the month that they had been given.

Regardless he saw no threat in any of the Kunoichi thus far, and his current adversary would be no different.

"Hajime!" The Jonin declared, before leaping back a safe distance from the two Genin.

The sound Ninja merely raised his gauntlet and fired a burst of vibrations towards the girl, who saw the attack coming and went through a blur of hand motion.

 _"Water Style: Water Wall"_

The boy looked on in shock as the wall of water seemed to ripple from the force, but otherwise remained stable.

"How the hell, sound travels better in water than it does through air! How did you stop my attack?"

 _***SooP***_

"Man this just go wayyyyy to troublesome."

"What do you mean Shikamaru?"

"The Kiri Kunoichi analyzed her opponent's attacks from the preliminaries and came up with a way to counter it even though her specialty is a weakness." The Nara replied to his own blonde teammate.

"Although sound travels farther and easier through water it actually takes more energy for it to get going, which means she used far denser water at first to act as a dampener for the initial attack." Sakura analyzed, for once feeling her book smarts coming in handy.

"Wow that's really awesome Sakura-chan! How did you know all that?" Natsuko questioned, curiosity filling her blue eyes.

"Uh well I studied a lot in school and…. I guess I was Kunoichi of the year for at least one reason." The pinkette replied blushing.

 _***SooP***_

Meanwhile the Oto Shinobi cursed in annoyance, after two more blasts he hadn't made a scratch in the fairly wide wall, which meant he would have to go around, giving the Kunoichi the advantage.

"Fine then, let's try this again." The man declared and sprinted to his left, clearing the water wall a second later but being forced to roll into a dodge to avoid a flurry of Kunai.

The man retaliated once more with his gauntlet, but again found himself attacking a wall of water apparently the girl had learned a way to curve her existing defensive structure to block his new angle as well.

"This is going to get old really fast."

 _***SooP***_

"An interesting technique, she can constantly force him to move to where she wants and then counter attack just as he arrives, it is quite a lethal strategy." Shino muttered from where he stood.

"Man this is such a drag, no matter what I'm going to be stuck going up against a bunch of troublesome women, I wonder if I can just forfeit now?"

"Shikamaru stop being such a lazy ass for once in your life. You are here to show off how skilled you are, not to just quit at the first signs of trouble. I thought you were training for the last month just for this?"

"Yeah Asuma-Sensei and my dad put me through hell. Late nights, early mornings and no afternoon naps, what a pain."

Choji just snickered, it would be like someone taking away half of his daily seven meals, talk about torture. More and more the Akimichi was happy he had forfeited, and gotten a free buffet out of the deal.

 _***SooP***_

Down in the arena Dosu was starting to get tired of fighting his opponent, all he had to show for the match so far was a handful of close calls and a few minor scratches from the irritating girl. Luckily it seemed that she had finally run out of Kunai, and was beginning to run low on Chakra as well.

The first sign was that her latest wall was considerably thinner than the rest and thin enough that as Dosu began his normal attempt at flanking he was able to surprise the girl and break through the barrier with a concentrated burst of sound, throwing the girl backwards and obviously messing with her equilibrium as she struggled to stand up.

He wasn't going to let that happen though, and charged forward, kicking her in the chest before lifting her up by her vest, his free gauntlet dangerously close to her face.

"You should consider giving up. Not sure what will happen if I full on blast you from this range" the boy whispered with a menacing tone.

The girl responded by using up the remains of her Chakra, and formed a water barrier completely covering her.

The boy merely laughed at the pathetic attempt at defense, he had broken through her barrier when it was easily twice as dense, what was she trying to accomplish.

He received his answer when she opened up a small utility bag and dropped a smoke bomb onto the ground directly below her, creating a cloud of dense smoke.

The Oto Ninja held on though and after a few moments the concealment dissipated.

"Was that it, you trying to make my eyes water?"

The girl just shook her head, a slight smirk forming on her lips.

"Poison" the girl mouthed, earning a wide eyed expression, then a slight chuckle which turned into a roaring laughter from the boy who threw the Kunoichi to the ground several feet from him.

"You stupid brat, do you think these wrappings are just for show? There is a filter built into them to prevent me from inhaling any of that crap you might throw around.

As the water shield dispersed the girl took a few deep breaths before laughing herself.

"Good thing that it's absorbed through the skin then huh?"

The boy's eyes widened, before his legs gave out, forcing him to the ground.

"The only safe preventing method is water, luckily I was completely shielded. Now then you have about twenty seconds before you are completely paralyzed, and another twenty after that before every orifice in your body starts bleeding, I would suggest that…."

"I forfeit!"

"Good call." The girl smirked before turning to the proctor who was coming forward for the antidote.

"Oh my, it seems that I misspoke, that was just a temporary paralysis agent you should be fine in a few seconds." The Kunoichi continued before walking back towards her team.

 _***SooP***_

"Right then, I guess the next battle will be Shikamaru Nara against Temari of Suna."

The Kunoichi immediately nodded before gliding down towards the ground on her fan, her opponent on the other hand had yet to move.

"Yeah I think I'm going to…."

"GO GET HER SHIKAMARU-KUN!" The blonde Uzumaki happily shouted from behind him, while giving him a push of encouragement.

Unfortunately the Nara had not been expecting it, and promptly fell the entire way down, ending with his face in the dirt.

"Oops?"

"Glad to see you finally got the fighting spirit Nara- _kun"_ the proctor chuckled, as the Shinobi dusted himself off and muttered about how troublesome everything could be.

"Hajime!"

***A/N***

A bit of a shorter chapter this time but I didn't want the next chapter to only be Akane and Natsuko's fights.

I hope that everyone is happy with the results of the various battles, I feel I did quite a deal better than during the preliminaries with including other characters rather than just focusing on the main two.

As always, I hope everyone enjoyed the read!


	13. Battles of Fate Pt 2

**Sum of our Parts**

Battles of Fate Pt. 2

***Still don't own or make any money. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

The battle between Temari and Shikamaru started off with a rush of wind, courtesy of the Kunoichi, forcing the man back and putting her out of range of his shadow techniques.

"So what is the big strategy for this match eh slacker? You were pretty clever during the preliminaries but your opponent allowed herself to be outmaneuvered and lost because of it. I on the other hand am completely aware of what you are capable of."

'Man what a drag, why do I always have to go up against women? Knowing my luck I'll be stuck against Natsuko or her sister next and those two I definitely want to avoid facing off with.'

"How troublesome, now everyone's expecting some big fancy strategy from me and a come from behind win or something."

"Oh don't worry about that, I am just expecting you to lose."

She had been hoping to get a rise out of the boy instead he just looked at her with a bored, almost half asleep, gaze.

Narrowing her eyes to a glare the Suna Ninja unfurled her fan and sent another devastating attack towards the boy, forcing him to dodge behind one of the nearby trees to take cover.

" _Wind Scythe Jutsu"_

The one flaw that Temari had always been annoyed with was the amount of dust and debris her attack created, essentially her opponent was now completely concealed behind what was a dense cloud of dirt.

A few seconds after the attack the wind user was forced to quickly jump backwards, avoiding the thin shadow that was making its way towards her.

'If he thinks that thing can reach me he has another thing coming.' The Suna Kunoichi noted in irritation as she continued to jump backwards to avoid the technique.

Finally it came to a stop and the girl noted the distance mentally just to be sure of her safe zone.

'Man what a drag, I thought for sure I could reach her while I was concealed, so much for a quick victory.' The boy groaned mentally, before preparing another fifty strategies for the battle.

 _***SooP***_

"Come on Shikamaru! Kick that girl's ass!" Ino shouted for her teammate, while Choji sat nearby shoveling food into his mouth and Shino stood at the railings.

'This will be interesting, Shikamaru has never had to deal with someone as calculating as this Kunoichi before.' Shino mused as he looked on with interest.

 _***SooP***_

After his attempted counter attack Temari noticed that her opponent had taken to hiding behind a tree again, but saw a small puff of smoke. Curious about what he had just done she was brought out of her thoughts as the boy came running straight toward her, and began going through hand signs.

'So he finally decided to attack all out huh? Strange though it's almost like….'

She caught a glimpse of movement from behind the tree, and she knew exactly what he had done.

'He created a clone to charge me while the real one snuck around to the side for a flanking maneuver, clever but not clever enough.'

The Kunoichi ignored the still charging clone for a moment and launched another attack at the real threat, using enough force to put deep cuts into the bark of the tree, and even slicing a few of the limbs off.

To her shock the boy disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'Then that means!'

 _"Shadow Possession Jutsu"_

She found herself frozen in place, unable to move her body at all.

 _***SooP***_

"He did it, he got her!" Ino exclaimed happily, earning nods from her teammates.

"Who would have thought Shikamaru would do something as troubling as charging forward toward his opponent, what surprises me though is that Temari took the bait and attacked the clone instead." Asuma complimented.

"Probably because he knew she was so observant, but because they were in the shadow of the wall it was one less thing to give away the _Bunshin_." Hinata remarked.

"He was planning for it to end this way, an all or nothing charge." Akane muttered out, earning confused glances from the others."

"What do you mean Akane?" Sakura questioned.

"He switched his Kunai pouch to his opposite leg, meaning that if he reaches into her she won't be pulling out anything on her end and vice versa. He can throw Kunai at her or just make her cut herself until she forfeits or dies at this point." The redhead pointed out, causing all those to refocus their attention on the match below.

 _***SooP***_

"S-so what now?" The blonde Kunoichi questioned softly, as she began walking toward the boy who had her trapped.

"Well I guess I could start using Kunai or something, or force you to use your own on yourself but…"

"But?"

"I don't like hurting cute girls and my Chakra is too low to have another match so soon, so I forfeit." The boy sighed out before canceling his control and walking back towards his team.

The stadium was unusually quiet as everyone stared at the genius with dumbfounded looks.

 _***SooP***_

"Wh-WHAT THE HELL SHIKAMARU!? YOU JUST QUIT?"

"No Ino I forfeited, there is a difference."

"Not really Shika-kun." The blonde Uzumaki commented happily.

"Quiet you…. and quit pushing people off of balconies that is dangerous you know."

"Eh your fine, besides you got to show off because of it, so I count that as a win!"

"Whatever…. Looks like you're up though Natsuko." The Nara commented, earning a happy cheer from the girl who leapt down to the stadium floor to confront her opponent.

 _***SooP***_

"Hey Kurenai-san, you said that you had spent most of the time training Hinata right? Well if that's the case then who was working with…"

"BEHOLD THE EVER AMAZING, AWE INSPIRING, MAGNIFICIENT, SUPER DUPER NINJA…"

"Cut the crap Jiraiya." Anko muttered from nearby, already annoyed with the Sanin.

"No respect I swear, one of these days…"

"What was that?"

"N-nothing Anko! Nothing at all just that you are looking lovely today and amazing. Is that a new haircut?"

"Wait a second, Jiraiya of the Sanin trained Natsuko!?" Asuma's jaw practically hit the floor, how the hell did the girl manage that?

"Actually I trained both the Uzumakis. I stumbled upon them one day and said to myself 'if those two don't have potential then I don't know who does'."

"You trained them the entire time? No sneaking off to perv on women?" Kurenai questioned, her hand silently going to her Kunai pouch should the man have corrupted her two students.

"Of course! Not without trying mind you, stupid redheads and their stupid bets, stupid freaking bull…"

"Were you saying something Jiraiya-Sensei?"

"Nothing at all my amazing, and terrifyingly deadly student!" The white haired man sweated a bit as he answered the glaring redhead.

"Did you say something about a bet Jiraiya?" The Hokage called out from nearby.

"No nothing at all Sensei, nothing at all." The man grumbled.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright then, let's get this match started, Natsuko Uzumaki against Gaara of Suna, both contestants ready? Haj…"

A swirl of leaves interrupted the man before he could finish his call, as Kakashi and Sasuke appeared in the middle of the ring.

"Sorry, we aren't late are we?"

The cyclopean Ninja was answered by the hilt of a katana being smashed into his eye smiling face.

"Oh Kami my eye! What the hell Hayate!" The masked man promptly fell over and cradled his face crying fake tears and rolling around on the ground while doing so.

Everyone in the arena sweat dropped.

"You lazy son of a bitch! If you had just shown up on time like any normal freaking Jonin then I would have a candlelit dinner waiting for me tonight! Hell if your damn student wasn't such a pretty boy favorite I would still be getting free dinners! But nooooo Hokage-Sama in his infinite wisdom decided to put the one Genin who the council will literally bend over backwards for with the one Ninja who cannot show up on time to anything!" the proctor ranted, earning Akane a curious gaze from Yugao.

"It wasn't my fault though Hayate-san! We were on our way here from training but we spotted a little old man who needed help crossing…"

"LIAR!" Sakura shouted from in the stands, earning a slightly embarrassed head scratch from the former ANBU.

"Well like I said we are here now. I guess we are a little late but that's okay right?"

"A little late? You missed the first four matches you jackass!" The proctor shouted at the man, before being silenced by the Hokage.

"I do believe it would be a good time to see what the Uchiha prodigy is capable of Hokage-Sama, after all he just got here and looks ready to go." The Kazekage stated, earning nods from most of those seated in the stands, but annoyed glares from the Ninjas present, including Itachi.

With a reluctant sigh Hiruzen nodded and made his announcement, "Since Sasuke Uchiha has now arrived, and the match has not yet started we will be postponing the battle between Natsuko and Gaara, and resume the previously postponed match between Akane Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."

The civilians chatted happily with each other, glad to see the newest Uchiha prodigy wipe the floor with one of the two demon brats.

Hayate shook his head in disbelief while Kakashi merely eye smiled.

As the two Genin reluctantly left the arena Gaara had an even more agitated look on his face than before.

 _***SooP***_

"So it has gotten this bad huh? The old man let's that kid do whatever the hell he wants what a disgrace." Jiraiya commented as Akane moved towards her opponent.

Both Uzumaki sisters avoided eye contact with the Hokage much to his regret.

"So what do you think Jiraiya-san? Who do you think will win my student against yours?" Kakashi inquired as he approached the group of Konoha Ninja.

Those present, even the Hokage who had heard the rather loud question, focused their attention on the white haired man.

"Let's just say for all those here who have enhanced vision…. I would pay very close attention to this match if I were you. What you are about to see is going to change the Ninja world forever." The Sanin declared with a smirk.

 _***SooP***_

"Hajime!"

Hayate leapt backwards, just as Sasuke pulled out a kunai in response and activated his Sharingan.

Less than a second later the silence that had previously settled over the arena was disturbed by the sound of metal hitting the ground.

Sasuke took a step backwards, then another in shock, his weapon having fallen to the ground a second beforehand.

"Th-that's… that's not possible…" The boy muttered, his body shaking in confusion and fear.

 _***SooP***_

"Hey Kakashi-Sensei what's wrong with Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked nervously as the others watched on in curiosity.

That is until she noticed a shocked expression on Hinata's face as well, along with Neji's.

In fact all the Hyugas were staring towards the two competitors with mixed expressions of horror and confusion.

"H-how… how is she…" Itachi whispered out, refusing to believe his own eyes for once.

Kakashi glanced at the ANBU questioningly, before conceded to his own curiosity and lifted his headband, only to sputter out in shock.

"Wh-what the hell!"

The two Kage's glanced curiously at the various Dojutsu users present, before noticing the wide grin on the toad sage's face.

"Kakashi what is it, what do you see?" Hiruzen inquired, having a nervous feeling in his stomach.

"Nothing…. I can't see her!"

 _***SooP***_

"Wait what does he mean he can't see her, Kakashi-Sensei's Sharingan is like perfect!" Kiba exclaimed, looking around desperately for someone who could answer his question.

"She's just a blur, I can't see her Tenketsu or Chakra network…."Neji whispered out in awe.

"What the hell did you teach her Jiraiya?" Asuma whispered out in shock.

"Don't look at me, that wasn't my doing. As far as I know it was an accident though."

The Jonin stared at the Sanin like he had sprouted another head.

"What the hell do you mean 'it was an accident'? What did she do?" Kurenai exclaimed.

"She figured out a way to block the vision of the two most prevalent Dojutsu's in existence." Jiraiya replied, a hint of pride in his voice, "But like I said it was an accident, she was trying to figure out how to block Genjutsu and she just sort of stumbled onto this."

"Wait block Genjutu, which ones?" the red eyed Kunoichi inquired.

"All of them, in a way luck sealed your student's fate Kakashi. Sasuke just happened to be matched up against the one person in this tournament that is best suited for beating him. Heck she is probably the best 'anti Uchiha' Ninja that we have. She doesn't have any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu for him to copy she's faster and stronger than him, and now this."

"And what exactly is _this_ " Gai asked.

"I heard about what you said during the preliminaries Gai-san, and you were right about her, except for one thing. Akane is a genius of hard work, a master of adaptation… and a Fuinjutsu prodigy."

The other Ninjas stared wide eyed at the man before returning their gazes to the still frozen match.

 _***SooP***_

"If you wish to forfeit I understand. After all I did just remove your greatest advantage." Akane called out.

Hayate glanced over to the still shocked boy in question.

Sasuke was able to recover however and growled in response before deactivating his technique.

"Like hell! Even if you prepared for this match you are still a dead last reject! I am an Uchiha, a superior breed of Ninja than you can ever hope to become!" The Shinobi shouted in response, before formulating a plan in his head.

 _***SooP***_

'Looks like I need to talk with Kakashi about beating that arrogant idea out of him, that is going to get him killed if he isn't careful.' Itachi raged internally.

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke then moved into his newest Taijutsu stance with a smirk, fully expecting to overwhelm the girl with his newest abilities, instead he received an annoyed glare.

"So you copied Lee's techniques? Just to warn you, two copied Taijutsu forms do not equal mastery in one." The redhead growled out.

 _***SooP***_

"So you had him copy my form Kakashi?" Gai inquired, with an annoyed edge in his voice.

"Oh don't worry Gai he combined it with his own so it's a unique style now."

"That was supposed to be passed down from myself to Lee only, not copied by some brat with a Dojutsu."

"These things happen Gai, unfortunately we didn't have time to completely build up his strength and speed though."

"So you went with the shortcut and used Chakra instead?" the Taijutsu master correctly assumed, before giving a slight chuckle. "Good, that means that Akane is going to wipe the floor with his smug face."

 _***SooP***_

The Uchiha charged forward, using his Chakra to mimic Lee's speed.

Unfortunately Akane had already removed her weights, and blurred to the side, showing more speed than she had during the preliminaries and catching her opponent off guard with an open palmed strike to the face, sending the boy flying in the other direction.

Sasuke quickly recovered though, and threw a bundle of group of shuriken in a crossing formation, having attached them to Ninja wire in advance.

Seeing the technique the redhead opted to leap over the assault, landing next to the boy and engaging him in melee combat once more.

This time Sasuke favored considerably better having already noted his opponent's speed. Blows were exchanged at a high rate, similar to that of when Lee and Akane had battled before, but this time the results were opposite. With Akane's attacks taking a high toll on the Uchiha.

Finally Sasuke broke the battle off, seeing that he was wasting Chakra by continuing a fight that he was already losing, and went through a series of hand signs.

 _"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu"_

The massive attack raced forward towards its intended victim, who did not budge in the slightest, and instead raised her right hand calmly.

What happened next caused the Third Hokage's pipe to drop from his mouth.

Electricity erupted from her hand as she caught the ball of Chakra for a moment, before throwing it to the side with little effort.

The attack continued on its way and devastated a grouping of trees that had been set in the stadium.

 _***SooP***_

"D-did she just _catch_ a fireball?" Asuma whispered out, no longer understanding what was going on. He instinctively flushed his system with Chakra, just in case he had been placed under a Genjutsu.

"Uhhhhhhh yes?" Anko replied, also questioning whether she was seeing reality or not at this point.

"Actually that one I was able to help her with, even if she already had the basics down." Jiraiya stated proudly, earning more wide eyed stares.

"You taught her how to catch Jutsu?" the younger Sarutobi muttered.

"Well technically you did, from what I understand the idea came from your Ninjutsu session."

"Wha…"

 _***Flashback***_

"I do have one question though Asuma-Sama, you mentioned that everyone has elemental affinities? Does that mean when a person uses an elemental Jutsu that their Chakra actually changes to that type or does it stay as their base affinity?" Akane asked, earning a questioning pose from the man.

"Well it changes to the new type. That is one reason that it is easier to learn a Jutsu of your affinity, a Shinobi can naturally change their Chakra to their type far easier than another."

"Interesting…" The Uzumaki muttered before heading towards a nearby tree with Lee.

 _***End Flashback***_

"Ha! See I told you Ninjutsu training would help her!" Asuma laughed out when he realized what he had accidently done.

The two Jonin Kunoichi merely shook their heads in exasperation.

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke growled in irritation at yet another failed attempt, and more wasted Chakra. So far everything he had tried the dead last had either turned around or surpassed him in. He was beginning to think that even if she hadn't been able to block the Sharingan that it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

But Uchiha did not lose, especially not to dead last orphans, especially not with others watching. With his mind made up on his next course of action the Uchiha began back flipping away from the girl, before running halfway up the nearby wall and beginning a series of hand signs.

Moments later the air was filled with the chirping of birds.

 _***SooP***_

"Kakashi, what the hell have you done…" Gai muttered out, his eyes wide in shock as he watched the Genin perform his rival's original Jutsu.

"Chidori…." Asuma muttered out.

"He… he wasn't supposed to use it until his match with Gaara…" The cyclopean Jonin sputtered out shocked his student would go through such lengths in irritation against his opponent.

Itachi just watched out, horrified as his brother charged down the wall with the energy blade in hand.

 _***SooP***_

"SASUKE NO!"

The Genin barely made out the cry of panic from his Sensei as he charged forward, rage filling his every step as he focused in on his target. The girl who made him look weak yet again.

First she had saved his life in Wave, then she had defeated him in the forest, and now…. Now she was making him look like a fool in front of everyone, in front of Itachi… He would show her, he was crush her and then anyone else who stood in his way.

As he sprinted across the arena he noticed that Akane was charging towards him as well, probably thinking that she would be able to dodge at the last second like last time, but now he knew her trick. Now he was ready.

At the last second he would activate his Sharingan and give him the burst of speed and perception necessary, at that point she would not be fast enough to dodge completely out of the way, even if he could not see her it wouldn't matter.

As his attack lunged forward, and his eyes activated, he briefly heard another shout, this time from his opponent.

"TWO HANDS!"

His Chidori met her left hand.

 _***SooP***_

The lightning Jutsu met with static energy as electricity filled the stadium.

The ground was torn apart in the process.

Kakashi's normally spiky hair cut fell down, almost mimicking that of his rival.

"GAI WHAT IS GOING ON!?" The silver haired Jonin called out, being unable to make out what had happened from his perspective.

Glancing over he noticed the Taijutsu master's hair standing straight up, mimicking his own normal appearance.

"Hm? Did you say something Kakashi?" The man called back.

Asuma's cigarette fell to the ground.

Anko dropped a stick of Dango she had been nervously eating.

Kurenai began looking for signs of the oncoming apocalypse

 _***SooP***_

As the energy fizzled out and the dust settled everyone present held their breaths in anticipation. Until the scene became clear.

Sasuke's attack had been halted, his body still frozen in the same posture, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Akane's left hand had caught and resisted the attack, just like her right hand had before.

They both stood in place, acting more like statues than Ninja.

Then the Shinobi made a move, attempting to leap backwards and attempt a new plan, what he would do at this point though was beyond him.

After putting some distance between him and his opponent Sasuke dove into his mind to try and figure out a solution, a tactic, something that would give him an edge.

It made no sense, how could she become so powerful? Sasuke was of a superior clan, he wielded a Kekkei Genkai that was feared throughout the Ninja world, and his Sensei was one of the strongest Shinobi in Konoha and had taken to training him personally over the month whereas Akane's had to train three students at once.

She couldn't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, she had no special heritage. In fact she was a useless orphan.

So how was she so strong? What reasoning did she have to persevere and become stronger? What goal could someone as useless as her come up with?

Finally the boy broke and screamed at the girl.

"HOW!? HOW ARE YOU SO STRONG!? IS IT FOR THE VILLAGE? TO BECOME HOKAGE LIKE YOUR SISTER? WHY!?"

The girl stared at him for a moment, before her hands went to her shirt, and began unstrapping it.

 _***SooP***_

"What is she doing?" Anko muttered out, confused by the girls actions.

"Akane-chan…." Natsuko muttered sadly.

"Natsuko-chan what is your sister doing?" Kurenai inquired, while the other Ninja present directed the attention between the two sisters.

"You know how Akane-chan is always covered up? How she never shows anything besides her face?"

A few Jonin and Hinata nodded in confusion.

"You are about to find out why."

 _***SooP***_

The redhead removed her upper coat, and pulled off the long sleeve shirt underneath it, dressing down to nothing but pants and cloth wrapped around her breasts.

But that wasn't what had everyone silenced.

It was the scars that covered her body, hundreds of them, crisscrossing every inch of her torso and arms in a horrific pattern, along with patches of skin that looked like they had been severely burned.

The stadium fell silent. All those present, both civilian and Ninja alike frozen in place at the terrible image.

Until Akane moved, her fingertips finding their way to a spot covered in small spots.

"Aburame" The girl called out, her voice echoing through the stadium as she glanced towards her fellow Genin.

Her hand moved to another spot, this time something that looked like she had poorly healed from blunt force trauma.

"Akimichi"

Choji's eyed along with Shino's as they realized what she had implied.

"Inuzuka"

Her hand went to what appeared to be a series of claw shaped scars on her side.

Kiba instantly recognized them from his clan.

This process continued on, "Uchiha, Hyuga, Sarutobi, Nara, Shimura, Yamanaka." When she had said the final clan she paused for a moment, before pointing to her head rather than a physical scar.

Ino threw up.

"This is the legacy of your village Uchiha, the 'Will of Fire' as it is called. It is the hatred towards those who cannot defend themselves, to those who cannot control what they are. It is the hatred that allows countless to look on as two orphans starve, forcing them to live in poverty and keeping them there. It is the hatred that convinces everyone that it is okay to do this, that it is okay to abandon those who are in need, to look away when they see a child sitting in the dirt and freezing cold of the winter because the child is different, because the child protects them. I have no interest in becoming Hokage Uchiha, because I have no love for this cesspool that you call a village. For all I care it can burn in its 'Will of Fire'. You want to know why I am strong? Because I have to be for my sister, because it is my job to protect her no matter what, because I would die for her without a moment's hesitation. That is why you cannot defeat me, and you never will."

 _***SooP***_

"Wh-what the hell did they do to her?" Anko muttered out as tears fell from her eyes.

Kurenai wasn't fairing much better.

Hinata had already taken to sobbing silently, while Natsuko looked on with a mournful gaze, already knowing what had happened to her sister.

The killing intent from the men though was overpowering. Between Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Gai, who had quite a liking to the girl's "flames of youth" there was enough tension to cause the civilians nearby to pass out.

The Third Hokage looked more defeated than he ever had before all of his preaching's about the "Will of Fire" and his guarantees that they would be kept safe it had all lead to this, the obvious torture and torment of children who were responsible only for protecting the village at the cost of their own safety and happiness. Even worse was the fact that members of his own clan had taken part in it.

The glare that the Sanin had sent him was very clearly seen by the village leader, and he knew that there would be much to answer for after this was all over.

As for the other Genin, Shikamaru and Shino had averted their eyes in shame, while silently beginning a discussion on how to figure out who in their clans had been responsible.

Ino and Sakura were still trying to recover, while they processed what was happening.

Choji had thrown his snacks down on the ground in disgust he had always had more than his fair amount of food while there were classmates, who had even saved his life, that were starving.

Tenten and Lee watched on in horror as the girl they had come to think of as a fourth member of their team explained the cruelties that had been forced on her.

Neji had been silent the entire time, wondering if fate truly was responsible for what had been done to the girl, and going through his memories for any signs of who in his own clan might have been involved in such a travesty.

 _***SooP***_

The girl lunged forward, anger swirling in her eyes as she reached her victim in a heartbeat.

He tried to retaliate, tried to dodge out of the way or put up a trap, tried to do something… but he wasn't fast enough, and he found his arm gripped painfully by his opponent, before she pulled back and punched him in the face.

The blow sent a wave of shock through his system, and made his vision go blurry and unstable for a second, more than what she would need.

The second blow came just as swiftly, a kick to his left ribs, cracking at least one in the process.

After that everything became a blur of attacks, and pain.

She was relentless each strike would push him in a way that the next would capitalize on, causing even more damage than before.

Bones were broken, muscle torn, skin bruised.

It ended in an ironic way, at least to the Uchiha, with an open palm strike to his stomach, causing him to lean forward, and feel an arm wrap around his bent over neck.

A position he recalled from Wave, next would come the inevitable snap as his life ended.

 _***SooP***_

"WAIT!"

Akane froze, before glancing up at the origin of the shout, staring into the eyes of Itachi Uchiha, who looked ready to jump over the railing and into the arena.

"Please…. don't do this, he's my brother…."

A subtle glance revealed that the redhead had looked toward her sister in contemplation, before turning to Hayate.

"Proctor, call the match I can easily snap his neck at this point but I would rather not have to."

Hayate glanced over to the Kage booth, asking for permission to do so. Technically the Uchiha was still conscious and hadn't directly surrendered, but the situation was obvious, the outcome inevitable if Kunoichi so willed it.

Hiruzen gave a slight nod.

"The winner is Akane Uzumaki."

The redhead released her captive before picking her clothing back up and throwing her jacket on.

"Hey Akane…"

The girl looked towards the Kenjutsu master in curiosity.

"If you or your sister ever need anything… and I mean _anything_ you let me or Yugao know okay?"

The Kunoichi nodded in gratitude, before giving a soft thanks and walking towards the tunnel which lead to her teammates.

 _***SooP***_

As Sasuke was being taken back for treatment Akane found her path blocked by the boy's older brother.

"Thank you for sparing him, even with what he tried to do."

The girl shrugged and continued her walk.

"I would like to tell you a short story if you have the time."

The Genin paused before turning back towards the ANBU Captain.

"Years ago I heard a rumor of a member of the Uchiha clan who had claimed to have done terrible things to a young girl, he never directly said who it was but what he had boasted about… I cannot imagine anyone going through such things, his name was Naka Uchiha."

Akane continued watching the Shinobi, her face showing no signs of interest one way or another.

"I only say this because rumor has it that during the Uchiha purge, which I took no part in of course, the man reportedly died a very slow and painful death. There are quite a few fire Jutsu that burn slowly and cause intense suffering over hours before finally granting death."

The Sharingan wielder gave the girl a knowing glance.

"Then he got far better than he deserved." The redhead replied, before continuing her walk back towards her team."

"I couldn't agree more." Itachi muttered out, a lone tear falling from his eyes as he considered what his own clan had done to the innocent girl.

 _***SooP***_

By the time Akane reached the other Genin her sister was already down and facing her opponent, just as Hayate made the declaration.

"Natsuko Uzumaki versus Gaara of Suna, Hajime!"

"Now then, let's see what you are capable of Natsuko…" Jiraiya muttered out.

***A/N***

So I had originally intended on getting part of the way through Natsuko's fight this chapter, but Akane's ran longer than I thought it would. Oh well I hope it turned out okay. I am planning on an epic battle next chapter to show off Natsuko, which I have been failing at in this story so far, so hopefully this will make up for it.

I hope the Temari vs Shikamaru fight was realistic enough for everyone, since there was no hole for the genius to use I had to create another way for him to show off his abilities…. But quite frankly I am not a tactical genius so this is kinda what I came up with, hopefully it was good enough.

Until next time I hope everyone enjoyed reading the chapter!


	14. Battles of Fate Pt 3

**Sum of our Parts**

Battles of Fate Pt. 3

***Still wish I owned, still don't. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

Gaara stood still, watching his opponent like a predator would watch its next meal.

Natsuko on the other hand was rocking back and forth on her heels, her energy and excitement obvious to all present.

Hayate immediately regretted starting this match. Not that he thought that the Kunoichi was weak, far from it. Akane did nothing but praise her sister when she was mentioned, but this boy… he was danger on an entirely different level. He was a killer, and he enjoyed it.

The blonde on the other hand seemed almost too innocent and happy to be a Ninja.

Moments seemed to turn into hours as the two refused to make any aggressive movements, until the Suna Shinobi had enough of waiting and uncorked the gourd on his back, pouring sand out and promptly attacking with it.

The excitable Uzumaki promptly dodged out of the way and threw several Kunai towards the boy, who materialized a sand clone, catching the weapons easily.

His opponent just smiled cheerfully and dodged yet another attack.

 _***SooP***_

Up in the stands Kakashi's hand went to his headband in preparations to copy any Ninjutsu that the girl might use for later training with Sasuke, before he halted and glanced over towards the girl's sister.

"Should I even bother trying to copy her during this match?"

The redhead shrugged before returning her eyes to the battle underway. "I suppose if you feel like wasting Chakra go ahead."

"So you put the seal on her as well?"

"Of course."

"Wait if you put the seal on your sister and yourself, then why didn't you put one on Hinata? She could have destroyed Neji." Kurenai remarked, earning curious glances from the Hyuga heir who had been standing close enough to overhear the conversation.

"Because it messes up my Byakugan." The girl stated, her eyes never moving the match.

"So you tried to do so already then?" Asuma guessed, and earned nods from both Genin.

"It has something to do with coating them in a weird Chakra cloak." The white haired Sanin responded from his spot nearby.

The various Jonin, along with Itachi and Hizashi, turned to the man, interested in hearing his explanation.

"She tried explaining it to me when she first developed it, something to do with a layer of dense Chakra coating the person, which is probably why it messes up the girl's sight as well it isn't directly on the skin but an inch or so beyond it."

"So you don't know how it works then?" Anko inquired, a slight smirk forming on her face at the pervert being one upped by a Genin.

"Stupid bet with stupid Fuinjutsu prodigies." The sage muttered.

Anko just laughed.

"I do have one more question though Akane, how did you know to use a lightning barrier against Sasuke? Uchiha are known for the fire based Jutsu."

"Because you used it on the bridge, I figured that since you were his Sensei you would teach at least one of your student's that technique and considering he is your obvious favorite I knew you would let him copy the ability in preparations for the exams."

The Jonin just gave an embarrassed chuckle and rubbed the back of his head, while the other Sensei's glared at him. Teaching your student's high level techniques was one thing, teaching them assassination techniques in preparations for a Chunin exam was something else.

 _***SooP***_

'Again the girl dodges mother's sand just in time, again mother is angry. I do not want mother to be angry with me, she is scary when enraged, and I just want to let her be happy.'

'But I also want to sleep it has been so long since I have been able to have a good night's sleep.'

'Temari is worried about me, she thinks that I do not see how much she worries but I do. She does not sleep much anymore either, neither does Kankuro. They worry about me, but why? I hurt them. I scare them. Why would they be worried about me?'

'Perhaps after mother is released and we return home I can find out.'

 _***SooP***_

"I am curious as to what will happen after these exams though." Hizashi called out suddenly, loud enough for those nearby, including the Hokage, to hear.

"Why do you say that Hizashi-Sama?" The younger Sarutobi asked in response.

"Well the redhead dem- er brat is obviously a Fuinjutsu expert, and it just so happens that her teammate appears to have a modified Caged Bird Seal. Such a thing is illegal after all."

The various Ninja turned to said Genin who had completely ignored the man.

"Is this true Akane-chan?" the cyclopean Shinobi inquired, with his patented eye smile as cheerful as ever.

"Hm? Did you say something Kakashi-San?"

"YOUTH!"

"Shut it Gai, he is correct though Akane-chan." Kurenai continued.

"Yes he is, in that modifying a Clan Seal is illegal." The Genin replied, her focus still on the blonde who had continued her dodging, much to her enemy's annoyance.

"So you admit to doing such a thing then?" The Hyuga leader declared.

"Perhaps you should have Jiraiya-Sensei inspect the seal before you make such accusations Hyuga-Sama."

At Hinata's nod of approval the Sanin kneeled down and did as he was asked, before chuckling slightly.

"Well that certainly is interesting, it appears as though the Caged Bird Seal is still unmodified, of course there is another completely _separate_ seal surrounding and suppressing it, but that is certainly not illegal as far as I am aware." The toad summoner glanced towards his Sensei who nodded in confirmation.

"Then we shall have it removed immediately!" Hizashi declared, only to hear a slight chuckle from the Uzumaki.

"Then you would be modifying or removing a clan seal, I am an Uzumaki after all."

The man's jaw dropped while Hiruzen held back a chuckle, it wasn't very often that a Hyuga could be outwitted with their own rules.

"She is correct Hizashi-Sama otherwise she would be allowed to remove the Caged Bird Seal from Hinata if she could figure out how to do so. If that were to happen you would have quite the situation on your hands." Kakashi once more eye smiled towards the pale eyed man.

"It really is such a simple seal too if I were so inclined I could probably put it on every member of the branch clan in a day or so at most."

This had the man paling even more than usual, such an action would lead to an uprising in the clan itself.

Hinata finally understood her two teammates plan, and giggled at how diabolical it was.

"Just to make it clean Hyuga-Sama, if anything should happen to my teammate or her sister… I will ensure that this knowledge is spread throughout Konoha. This, of course, includes any type of forced marriages, relationships, or impregnations." Akane continued, her voice dipping slightly in a threatening manner.

The Jonin present turned their attention to the man in question, many of them glaring at the man. It wasn't unheard of for clans to do arranged marriages, but to force children into them just to use them as breeding tools was looked down upon by all of the major houses and clans of Konoha.

The Hyuga just gulped before nodding slightly in acknowledgement.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko saw her first opening after a particularly long ranged attack by the red haired boy, and her hands immediately blurred into motion.

 _"Earth Style: Flying Stones"_

A barrage of earthen projectiles flew from the ground in front of her, forcing up a sand wall where they impacted harmlessly.

'So it does react without him to guide it, let's see how fast it is.'

Forming the hand sign for her favorite Jutsu the blonde created ten more replicas of herself before they encircled the boy, who glanced around in an uninterested way.

A second later they all threw a handful of Shuriken towards the boy, whose defense once again reacted immediately and blocked the attack without effort.

 _"Wind Style: Eye of the Storm"_

Each of the clones emitted a tunnel of enhanced air, which converged on the boy. Seconds later they formed what appeared to be a large tornado, which began moving the sand upwards and out of the Suna Ninja's reach.

Gaara's eyes opened in a panic, he had never been without his sand before and now this girl was threatening to remove it.

Acting quickly the boy channeled his Chakra through the ground, creating sand outside of the area that he now found himself trapped in and sought to impale the blonde with spikes from the ground.

The technique worked, up until the point where his adversary dissolved in a puff of smoke, revealing herself to be a Shadow Clone.

Refocusing his efforts, Gaara began the same process, dispelling the other Natsuko's in rapid succession. Unfortunately he was unable to find the real Uzumaki before most of his defense had been torn away, leaving him vulnerable to a barrage of _Air Bullets_ that impacted a moment later, tearing away the last pieces of his _Sand Armor_ in the process.

Before she could follow up with any more attacks though the offensive sand finally reached the Kunoichi, forcing her to abandon her plans and dodge out of the way, receiving a few minor scratches for her efforts.

 _***SooP***_

"H-hey Temari, this isn't looking too good. I mean if this random chick is holding her own against Gaara what the hell makes us think that any of this will actually succeed?" Kankuro whispered out.

"Relax, Gaara's got this, she hasn't even managed to hurt him yet and that stupid wind trick won't work on him a second time. Now that the Sand has returned he has only increased his offensive and defensive capabilities."

"Yeah but this is just one _Genin_. What the hell are we going to do when the others gang up on him, or heaven forbid, a Jonin?"

"I don't like this any more than you do but what choice do we have? You know father is dead set on this path and nothing is going to persuade him otherwise. Besides we will be there to help Gaara if something goes wrong because I am sure as hell not abandoning him here."

"Yeah I guess… Still I have a bad feeling about this."

The Suna siblings returned their attention to the match in progress, missing the calculating stare that they had received from the redheaded Uzumaki.

 _***SooP***_

"Mother want's your blood, she demands your blood. Thus she will have your blood!" The crazed boy shouted, stretching his hand out toward the blonde.

 _"Sand Binding Coffin"_

At his command the sand beneath the ground sprung forth, enveloping the girl.

A sadistic smile formed on his face before preparing his follow up Jutsu, only to widen his eyes in shock as the structure blew apart from within.

 _"Wind Release: Air Burst"_

The girl then followed up by flowing through a series of hand signs.

 _"Water Release: Flooding Wave"_

His sand having returned moments earlier, immediately rose up in defense and easily stopped the wave of water that soon drenched the entire arena, along with Hayate whose eye twitched in mild irritation.

"Now then, time for the Uzumaki special surprise!" The Kunoichi happily proclaimed.

 _***SooP***_

Up in the stands the Genin and various Jonin continued looking on as the battle picked up and Natsuko declared her attack.

Several seconds passed before an irritated Kiba decided to speak up.

"Wait a second, how come I am still getting crap for my technique names from the preliminaries but no one says shit about her?"

"Because she is adorable." Sakura stated in a serious voice, as if the answer was obvious.

"Oh come on I'm attractive too… right?"

"Akamaru is cute…" Hinata replied cheerfully prompting the various Kunoichi, save for Akane, to giggle at the dogs happy barking.

"Traitor…" the Inuzuka muttered out.

 _***SooP***_

"That was foolish of you all you have done so far is waste Chakra for no advantage. Even if you had electric Jutsu they would not reach me at this point." The red haired Ninja called out.

Natsuko just giggled happily before throwing a Kunai toward the boy, whose sand began rising up, only to barely intercept the weapon rather than easily block it as before.

Gaara's eyes widened in shock, as the Genin created a dozen Bunshin before commanding them to throw Kunai towards the horrified boy.

To his family's surprise Gaara was forced to dodge out of the way from one of the Kunai, which had managed to make its way past his defenses before the sand could react in time.

 _***SooP***_

Temari swore under her breath, "I never realized that by adding so much water to his sand that you could slow down Gaara's defense and attack. This is very bad."

"We need an exit strategy Temari, if this continues on Gaara will be forced to use his trump card before everything is in position. I don't know about you but I sure as hell am not ready to fight a stadium full of enemy Ninja."

"I am working on one…."

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko just grinned happily.

Gaara returned it with a death glare.

"Do not think this has changed what will come to pass. Mother will have your blood, and then your sister's blood as well."

At this declaration the thus far cheerful blonde froze, her head lowered slightly as she stared down at the floor, concealing her emotional state.

 _***SooP***_

"What is she doing…." Kurenai muttered out in question.

Asuma was prepared to give her some half assed answer when a crimson aura enveloped the Uzumaki currently in combat.

 _***SooP***_

 **"If you lay one hand on her I will tear your arms off."** A demonic voice rang out, earning shocked stares from all those present, especially those who had come to know the girl.

Raising her head Gaara finally saw what he had caused. The girl's eyes had gone become vertical slits and her whisker marks more pronounced. Her teeth were now elongated along with her fingernails, to the point of becoming claws.

The Kunoichi charged forward, easily dodging the considerably slowed sand, though at this point Gaara wondered if it would have been able to keep up with her even if it was at full speed. Just as she reached him the Suna Ninja attempted one last attempt at defense, raising a spiked barricade from the ground directly into her path in an attempt to skewer her.

Only for the girl to nimbly flip over them and deliver a devastating kick to his face, tearing off what little sand armor he had been able to accumulate and tossing him backwards a dozen feet.

 _***SooP***_

"K-Kami in Heaven what the h-hell is she?" Kankuro stuttered out.

"She must be a Jinchuriki like Gaara, this is bad. I thought that Gaara would still be able to kill her even with her advantages but now… Without him being at full strength I don't know if he can beat another one like him." The boy's sister hesitantly replied.

 _***SooP***_

Meanwhile Orochimaru was cursing his luck. Not only had Sasuke lost but now his secret weapon was being tossed around the ring like a rag doll. Apparently his intel about the Kyubi Jinchuriki had been incorrect and that she had indeed managed to tap into its power. Not only that but she was not the rage filled warrior that they tended to be when first drawing on the corrupt Chakra. Despite her rage the blonde seemed to have control over the power and her own emotions.

Even worse was the loss of his own student Kabuto, who had gone missing after his completion of the second phase of the exam. This was by far the most nerve racking of the problems. Had Kabuto revealed their plan? He surely had enough time to do so as the snake Sanin had been unable to locate him during the month break.

 _***SooP***_

After the third time of being thrown across the stadium, and barely being able to cushion his blow with the sand that now permeated throughout the arena floor, Gaara had finally devised a counter strategy.

First he launched a large volley of sand spikes, hoping to force the girl to break her assault and either dodge or retreat onto the defensive.

What he had not been expecting was that the demonic Chakra would allow her to sweep her arm in front of her, annihilating them before they could even make contact, and forcing him to actually duck under the oncoming wave of energy, not trusting his defenses to block the attack.

This only presented her an opportunity to deliver a devastating kick to his ribs, causing his chest to explode into sand.

Moments later the true Gaara emerged from the other side of the ring, having created a _Sand Bunshin_ when she had blocked her own vision.

He had taken too long to use this technique and had continued underestimating the blonde powerhouse.

No longer would he make that mistake.

 _"Sand Shield"_

Slowly a defense dome of sand formed around the boy, cutting off all access to him, while an eye formed above it.

Natsuko just glared at it, cursing herself silently for allowing the boy to use one of her favorite tricks against her.

She charged towards the barricade, intending on ripping through it, only to be forced backwards when an exceedingly strong spike jutted out, this time surprisingly dried, despite the knee high water that still remained on the ground.

Apparently the boy had figured out a Jutsu to remove the water from his weapon.

 _***SooP***_

'So he has been forced into this so early hm? Well I suppose all of my forces are in place regardless, after his transformation is complete and he stomps the brat into the ground I will begin the invasion, then there will be nothing left to chance. Finally I shall have my revenge.' The snake summoner smirked beneath his disguise as he made a slight gesture to his guards, indicating it would soon be time to commence the plan.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko, still cloaked in the Kyubi's Chakra, stood gazing at the dome like structure for another few moments, before silently making up her mind for her next approach.

With a single hand sign she created two Shadow Clones, before extending her right hand, and forming a glowing sphere of Chakra with the help of the one copy.

A whirling sound quickly filled the stadium as the Ninja who had been alive to witness this technique during the previous war watched on in horror as the blonde Genin recreated one of the signature moves of the 'Yellow Flash'.

 _***SooP***_

"Jiraiya, you taught her the _Rasengan_!?" Kakashi muttered out under his breath in awe. Although he also had developed the technique it had taken him far longer than a single month to develop and learn to control it.

"Of course, I knew who she was facing in her first match so I figured it would be a good backup technique should she need it for his defenses, looks like I was correct." The Sanin muttered, watching as the Kunoichi charged forward, and weaved through the oncoming counter attacks that the Suna Ninja launched.

 _***SooP***_

Just as her technique was about to collide, a sand spike jutted out from her left flank, intending on skewering the blonde Ninja just as she was about to reach her intended target.

Luckily she had the forethought to create a clone just for this purpose, who immediately launched an earth spike of her own to divert it's path, before poofing away from lack of Chakra.

The swirling sphere of energy met with Gaara's ultimate defense.

To his credit the sand managed to momentarily halt the technique, but with the Kyubi's Chakra still flowing around her Natsuko forced her way through, tearing into the darkness beyond and ripping into the boy's shoulder.

His screams of pain echoed throughout the area as the sand threatened to collapse down onto his adversary and crush her arm.

Luckily Natsuko was able to _Kawarimi_ with her clone at the last second, allowing her to escape with only a few minor bruises and cuts from the defenses continuous reaction.

"Blood?! MY BLOOD!? **MY BLOOD!"**

The Uzumaki was immediately forced onto the defensive as dozens of sand spikes and attacks came hurling down at her, luckily she managed to put up a wall of water at the last moment, severely slowing them down and providing her a few extra precious seconds to avoid any serious harm.

Unfortunately the transformation had already begun, as the dome of sand that Gaara had created collapsed, revealing the boy in a partially transformed state, his form becoming more demonic by the second.

 **"MOTHER SHALL HAVE YOUR BLOOD!"**

Hayate began making plans to call the match. Despite all he had seen the two Uzumaki sister's accomplish there was no way they could be prepared to deal with something like this, that is before he took notice of the confident look on the blonde's face.

 _***SooP***_

'Just a few more moments and the attack shall commence. Then my fool of a Sensei shall finally fall along with his pathetic village. Soon I shall be able to claim a new body, one even more powerful than before.'

 _***SooP***_

"W-we need to do something. We can't just let Natsuko face that thing by herself!" Sakura stuttered out. Although she had never been particularly close to the blonde girl she still felt bad for how her teammate had acted during the preliminaries, along with the fact that she was a fellow Ninja of Konoha.

"Don't worry, Natsuko has a plan." The redheaded Uzumaki responded, her eyes never leaving the match in progress.

"What the heck kind of plan can you make against an unstable Jinchuriki who is transforming?" Gai inquired nervously.

"The kind of plan that will change everything." Jiraiya whispered.

 _***SooP***_

The blonde Kunoichi took a deep breath, before releasing it and dissolving the aura of Biju Chakra that had surrounded her, then glanced up as Gaara continued on his transformation, slowly becoming large and more powerful as time went on.

With a hesitant glance towards her sister the Genin then began to weave through a series of hand signs.

 _***SooP***_

Up in the Kage box Hiruzen took notice of the change in tactics, before rising out of his seat in shock, his eyes opened wide as he recognized the technique that was about to be used, something that had not naturally been seen in decades.

 _***SooP***_

 _"Wood Release: Tenth Edict on Enlightenment"_

Immediately the girl slammed her hand onto the ground, producing ten large wooden pillar that completely encircled her adversary, which immediately began wailing in despair at having it's Chakra drained away from it.

 _***SooP***_

"What the heck kind of technique is that?" Kiba called out, having never heard of the 'Wood Release' before.

Upon not receiving any answers he glanced over at his Sensei, only to see the man's eyes opened wide in shock.

"Uh Kakashi-Sensei?"

"Tha-that isn't possible… Only one man has ever been able to naturally use that." Asuma replied, his cigarette having fallen out of his mouth moments prior.

"Hey what's the big deal about this?" The Inuzuka pressed, still confused as to why everyone was so shocked by this technique.

"The only man to ever use the 'Wood Release' was the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju" Hinata muttered out, still not believing what she was seeing.

"B-but that isn't possible right? I mean Natsuko is an orphan. There is no way she is related to a Hokage…. Right?"

None of the Ninja present could answer him, since all except for Jiraiya and Akane were too stunned to respond.

 _***SooP***_

After a few seconds Gaara began to revert back to his normal human self, although considerably out of breath from the onrush of Biju Chakra.

Seeing her opportune moment the blonde immediately dashed forward, as she reached into one of her side pockets and pulled out a piece of white paper with various markings on it.

The Suna Ninja could barely glance up at the approaching girl much less make any move to counter her inevitable attack.

Seconds later she slammed the piece of paper into his exposed stomach, and his Jinchuriki seal.

Bright energy emitted from the two and filled the stadium for a minute before finally fading, revealing the prone form of the Shinobi, with Natsuko standing over him.

 _***SooP***_

"Wh-what the hell just happened? Gaara…. lost!" the boy's brother stuttered out, but received no answer from his sister standing next to him.

"What the hell do we do now?" the boy continued, nudging the Kunoichi to try and snap her out of her daze.

The girl blinked before her mind whirled into action, the attack would commence soon, especially if Gaara had been taken out. There was far too much effort put into the plan to just abandon it now.

During the confusion they would grab their brother and escape.

It was the only thing she could think of to do now.

 _***SooP***_

'That damned bitch! Now we have at least temporarily lost another part of the plan! Regardless my Sensei will still fall this day, I have not planned and prepared for so long only to have my strategy ruined by some Genin brat!'

 _***SooP***_

"Gaara of Suna is unable to continue! Natsuko Uzumaki wins by knock out!" Hayate exclaimed to the stunned silence that now filled the stadium.

No one yet knew how to react to one of the two village pariahs defeating a monstrous sand demon, especially by calling upon a technique that could only be utilized by the First Hokage.

Said blonde merely blushed and started to make her way back towards the entrance, when feathers began falling from the sky.

***A/N***

To all of you who might cry bullshit due to Natsuko's bloodline… I would have thought it kind of obvious with her affinities. Earth and Water make Wood, and I always was a bit annoyed that only one character could ever use the technique naturally considering it was a bloodline.

In preparation for any comments or PM's, no this was not a last minute addition I had planned on Natsuko being able to use this from my inception of the story.

As always read and enjoy!


	15. Fall of Fate

**Sum of our Parts**

Fall of Fate

***Not quite sure if people still think I own this... because I don't. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

'Okay this should be easy enough. Step one, get down there and retrieve Gaara. Step two get the hell out of this country and away from these psychotically powerful Ninja. Step three, find a nice girl, settle down, and retire from all this crazy shit.' Kankuro mentally went over his plan once more as he charged down towards his fallen brother alongside Temari.

By the time they reached the floor chaos was already breaking out, as was the plan with their Kage.

The blonde brat who had defeated Gaara turned just in time to see them arrive, and immediately shifted into a defensive stance.

'Yeah like we have any intention of fighting a freaking demon who defeated Gaara "the untouchable", no thanks!' he berated the girl mentally before moving towards the still unconscious redhead.

Seconds later the girls remaining two teammates appeared next to her, already in battle stances as well.

'Well that's just freaking fantastic. Now if the blonde doesn't tear us to pieces in one of fifteen different ways the Hyuga can electrocute me. Maybe if I am lucky the redhead will just decapitate me with…'

"We aren't here to fight you." the Suna Kunoichi suddenly called out, her eyes full of pleading and worry.

"And yet our village is under attack, and your brother is a Jinchuriki." The Hyuga replied.

Temari winced, their plan being easily exposed now that everything was laid out.

"We were ordered to but now…. Now we just want to make sure our brother is safe. Please, we won't attack you again." The blonde continued.

"How do we know you aren't just going to go and recover before returning with him in demon form?" the pale eyed girl growled out.

"They can't, his seal has been reinforced to the point where accessing his Biju Chakra is impossible unless they have a high level seal master." Akane responded her eyes still glued on the opposing Kunoichi.

"Wait… you blocked out Shukaku's voice?" Kankuro decided to finally speak up.

"Well technically onee-chan did but yeah we put a seal over his to stop all that crap." Natsuko called out, her posture still weary of an attack.

"Then you have our thanks. But please… just let us go, he's my brother, if you want to fight someone fight me instead." Temari challenged, gesturing the remaining Suna Shinobi to pick the prone boy up.

The two sisters glanced towards each other, having a silent conversation, before Akane let out a sigh.

"That won't be necessary, get out of here."

"Wh-what?" the painted boy stuttered out, not believing that they would just be let go so easily.

"I said get out of here we have more important things to do than kill a sleeping boy and his siblings, besides I would have done the same thing for my sister if the situation had been reversed."

The two sand siblings glanced to each other, before nodding in thanks and leaping off towards the forest with their unconscious brother.

 _***SooP***_

"So Orochimaru, you finally took action." Hiruzen called out to his former student in disgrace.

"Oh yes _Sensei_ I have returned to take my vengeance upon this village and all who live in it. Finally I shall show you that I should have been the rightful ruler."

"By laying siege to the village? I fail to see how that will accomplish your goals, but who am I to try and correct the actions of a psychopath."

"I AM A GENIUS! A PRODIGY THAT SHOULD BE HAILED AS GREATNESS INSTEAD OF THOSE YOU TRY TO PASS OFF AS LEADERS IN THIS CESS POOL!" The suddenly enraged Shinobi roared out in defiance, while the older man simply stood still and watched.

"Oh my, it appears I stuck a nerve."

After taking several deep breaths the Sanin finally calmed himself before chuckling quietly.

"You always did know how to get me all worked up old man. But it doesn't matter much now we have been separated from any reinforcements that may try to intrude on our reunion. Unfortunately I brought mine with me. I think it is time for a little reunion." The pale white man snickered, before raising three coffins, each with a number on it.

Sarutobi immediately understood the significance and leapt backwards as they opened, revealing the First, Second, and Fourth Hokages.

"I never thought you would stoop so low Orochimaru, to resort to grave robbing just to win a fight against a seventy year old man is rather pathetic of you."

"Do not think you can trick me into a different course of action Hiruzen. No this end is true justice. To have you torn apart by those that trained you or the one that you appointed to be your successor."

"Oh I would never try to trick one of your intellect my former student. After all you were hailed as a prodigy among prodigies when you went through the academy. Of course Jiraiya was viewed as a failure and so far he has managed to outwit you several times now. It must be quite embarrassing to be defeated by a so called 'failure'."

The snake summoner growled in anger, before recollecting himself with a few deep breaths.

"Regardless, Hokages of the past… kill The Third!"

The three corpses opened their eyes and charged forward.

The living Hokage had already discarded his robes and summoned Enma in staff form.

 _***SooP***_

"What's the plan Hinata-chan?" the blonde inquired, as the three Genin found themselves in the middle of a massive battle royal of the various villages.

"We need to get those who are unable to protect themselves back to the village, and then determine where we are needed next." The Hyuga replied automatically, after dodging a kunai thrust and responding with a series of Juken attacks.

Natsuko happily nodded, dodging gracefully over an Oto Nin before firing a point black _Air Bullet_ into his back.

A Kumo Ninja promptly charged toward the blonde, his hand clad in electricity, only to be intercepted by a _Shadow Clone_ at the last second, blinding him in a puff of smoke and leaving him defenseless as Akane charged through it a second later, cutting the man from shoulder to hip and ending his life.

"It seems as though all the Genin have gathered into the one area, and are being protected by the Jonin." The redhead commented.

"Yes, and the audience members that have not been put to sleep are slowly being escorted out by the ANBU, still we need to work on clearing a path for our classmates to use."

"Oooh oooh pick me pick me!"

"Yes Natsuko-chan?"

"I got this!"

Creating two _Shadow Clones_ the blond happily used them as a tool to launch herself into the air.

The girl then flew through a series of hand signs.

 _"Water Style: Cascading Wave"_

Moments later the girl breathed a massive wave of water down onto the stands, knocking various enemy Ninja off into the skirmish currently taking place in the large arena.

A second before she was about to hit the ground her sister caught her bridal style, earning a slight line of blood from the Hyugas nose from a fantasy flashing into her mind.

"Nice job Natsuko."

"Nice catch onee-chan!"

"IM SOAKED!" A banshee like scream echoed out from the gathering of Konoha Ninja.

"At least she isn't dead…" Hinata muttered out in disbelief at their classmates.

 _***SooP***_

So far Sarutobi had managed to 'kill' the First Hokage about three times, the Second four times, and the Fourth only once.

The damn blonde was a bit too fast for his own good, even with their abilities severely limited with the _Edo Tensei_

Meanwhile he had received two cracked ribs, a badly bruised arm, a nasty cut on his left leg, and several small puncture wounds on hid back for his trouble.

The much larger problem was his quickly depleting Chakra reserves.

That and his dwindling stamina, if he did not do something drastic soon he would lose this fight, and wasn't quite sure what would happen if Orochimaru was able to unleash the three Kages onto those fighting below.

Glancing towards his former student he noticed a slight smirk on the man's irritating face, just before he went through a few hand signs and drew a slight amount of blood.

Oh no

 _"Kuchiyose no Jutsu"_

A large amount of Chakra spiked nearby, the obvious signature of a massive summoning.

Sure enough a Snake the size of a large house was now heading straight towards Konoha, along with dozens of reinforcement enemy Ninja who had been waiting for a way into the village.

The sickening feeling that the elder Shinobi now had in his stomach reminded him that he was currently trapped in a barrier created by the Sanin's guard, preventing him from aiding his village when they needed him most.

Perhaps this was what Orochimaru intended for all along? To force him to watch as his home was attacked, its people killed, while he could do nothing but stand by and hear the screams of pain and battle.

His Ninja needed him and he was stuck doing battle with the former protectors of the village who had come before him.

He needed to do something, even if it was something drastic and foolhardy.

A plan formed in his mind though it would cost him his life it would end the threat, not only of the returned Hokage but also his former student.

Something he should have taken care of years ago.

 _***SooP***_

"We need to do something onee-chan, I know you and Jiji haven't gotten along in a long time but…" Tears began forming at the young Kunoichi's eyes as the thought of her fatherly figure being taken from them.

Her sister glanced around, before narrowing her gaze on the battle taking place on the roof, then pulled out two kunai from her pouch.

"I need you two to cover me." The girl commanded, earning nods from her two teammates who stood into a defensive position.

"How long Akane-chan?" The pale eyed girl inquired, seeing a small grouping of Oto Ninja take notice of them.

"Around thirty seconds."

"You got it onee-chan!" the blonde also saw the attack approaching and prepared to counter it with the help of the Hyuga Kunoichi.

Before the men could reach them, however, a white haired man fell from the sky, slamming a large _Rasengan_ into the group and sent them flying in various directions.

"BEHOLD THE EVER AMAZING AND GALLIANT JIRAIYA HAS ARRIVED!"

"Ero-Sanin is here!"

"Seriously brat are you going to keep calling me that?"

"Are you going to keep being a pervert?"

"I am not a pervert… I AM A SUPER PERVERT!"

"Then yes I will call you Ero-Sanin."

"Ungrateful little… Hey where is that Suna kid?"

"His seal was reinforced and we let him go." Akane replied, earning a reluctant nod from the white haired man.

"Alright then, you three stay here and help the others. I'm going for the snake summons. Hopefully Sensei can hold out long enough for us to find a way past that damn barrier."

Oddly the redheaded Uzumaki was still staring up at the battle, as if deep in concentration.

"Akane?"

"What would you do Jiraiya-Sensei? If you had the power to rescue someone who had failed you and the ones you cared about so many times in the past? Would you risk everything to save him?" The Kunoichi asked softly.

"I…" The Sanin wasn't quite sure what the girl meant, but had a slight idea. "I would do everything I could to save them. Even if someone wrongs you in the past, if they die then there is no chance of them making it up to you in the future, there is no possibility of them redeeming themselves. Everyone should be given another chance, especially if they are willing to take it."

The girl nodded slightly, and then disappeared from sight.

 _***SooP***_

Hiruzen was once more forced onto the defensive, dodging a _Hiraishin Rasengan_ combo from Minato, only to throw up a _rock wall_ and block a powerful water blast from Tobirama.

At that point a series of branches sprouted from the ground, entangling him and preventing any further retaliation.

He knew it would end like this eventually. Even if all three were at only a small amount of their true potential facing three geniuses was going to end one way eventually, especially with them being invulnerable to series harm.

Just as the Senju brothers moved in for the kill, Akane appeared directly behind them, her arms already halfway through a double decapitation move with Kunai in both hands.

With the two Hokages already preparing for finishing blows on the Third and their skills severely dampened they were in no position to dodge or block the attacks.

Two heads fell to the floor as a series of tri bladed kunai found their way into the girls back.

'Damn, at least I got rid of two of them though.' The girl cringed as she fell to her knees, vertigo quickly hitting her from the backlash of her ability.

'Still not practical in combat… takes too long to aim and then there is this.'

The reincarnated Fourth Hokage appeared directly behind the crouched girl, a _Rasengan_ formed in his hand as his eyes widened, as he recognized the red hair from his daughter.

Before the Namikaze's blow could connect though he found himself entangled in roots, before a _Water Style: Severing Wave_ tore his head from his shoulders.

Orochimaru's smile dropped at this new revelation.

"What the hell is going on?" The snake Sanin muttered out, upon seeing the blonde Hokage slowly repair himself and return to his own free will.

"Simple Orochimaru, The _Edo Tensei_ is a very taxing Jutsu. Not only does it require a large Chakra cost, and parts of the bodies for those you wish to control, but it also needs the initial user to dominate those they are trying to control that is the reason they are still able to use their Jutsu and strategize even when being brought back. For you to try and dominate three Kage level Shinobi would force you into a coma like state. It was rather clever of you though, to use those sealing tags to remove our control over our bodies, thus making it a simple task to control us. It appears that this girl saw through your trick." The Nidaime responded.

"How did you know Akane-chan?" Sarutobi inquired.

"Know what? I just thought the best way to kill someone was to take their heads off." The girl mumbled out, her senses beginning to recover as she pulled one of the kunai from her back.

"So this does raise an interesting question Orochimaru. How do you intend on stopping four Hokage class opponents? Especially with three of them being immortal?" Minato inquired, a smug smirk forming on his face.

The pale man growled in rage, as he was forced to dispel the Jutsu, thus returning the fallen warriors to the afterlife.

"You must be running low on Chakra my former apprentice, so what will you do now?"

In an instant the traitor charged forward, summoning the Kusanagi from his mouth.

Hiruzen raised his staff, preparing to, once again, clash with his former Genin student.

Akane watched the two seasoned warriors slowly move to engage each other the world slowing down around them.

 _***Flashback***_

"Jiji is here to see us!" The blonde girl happily exclaimed, running to the door as the older man entered the girls shared hotel.

"Jiji!" Akane happily cried from a back room, joining her sister and the man whom she saw as a grandfather.

"Ah there are my two favorite girls." The man said with a smile.

 _***SooP***_

"So what do you want to be when you grow up Akane-chan?" The village leader inquired, as the two sisters and he sat up on the Hokage monument, watching the Sun dip below the horizon.

"I'm going to be Hokage just like you Jiji! Then I will make sure that no one has to be alone ever again!"

"Well I am going to be Hokage too! Then the whole village can be my family!" Natsuko declared.

Sarutobi smiled at the two girls fondly, knowing someday that their dreams may very well come to pass.

 _***SooP***_

"How are you feeling Akane-chan?" Hiruzen quietly asked, as he approached the girl's bed.

Natsuko sat nearby, glancing wearily between her father figure and her sister, who was still bedridden after being found by the blonde and slowly carried back to their apartment.

The redhead's eyes held none of their previous light though instead she stared up at the ceiling, showing no signs of life at all.

The Hokage frowned, holding back the sorrow that built up inside at failing the young girl.

 _***SooP***_

"So now that you will be entering the academy soon, has your plans for the future changed?" The elder Sarutobi asked gently of the two girls during his monthly visit. Unfortunately it had been getting harder and harder to find time to visit the two with his increasing workload.

"Heck no Jiji! I'm going to be Hokage no matter what!" The blonde happily exclaimed.

The old man smiled at the girl's enthusiasm, but when he received no reply from the other Uzumaki he glanced over curiously.

Akane showed no sign of answering instead she stared off, as if looking through the great wall that surrounded the village and into the freedom that lied beyond it.

 _***End Flashback***_

The redheaded girl knew what she had to do the answer had been in front of her, so obvious, the entire time.

The village would be better off without her, without the monster she contained and was slowly turning into.

Natsuko would be safer, after all the villagers always did tend to target Akane more in their hatred. Not only that but her sister would have a better life among her peers, it was no secret that Akane tended to frighten the other Genin and without her around the blonde might even have a normal social life and normal friends instead of being stuck with a cold hearted loner.

The village would never be the same without its Hokage. The Third was its guiding light, Asuma's father, Konohamaru's grandfather. He was a Shinobi that would never be replaced.

What was she?

Just as Hiruzen's defense was pushed aside by the younger and stronger Sanin Natsuko intervened, pushing the man, who she even now viewed with love, aside and raising her sword to parry the blow. It would give the stronger, more experienced man an opening throw the snake summoner into confusion.

What she hadn't realized was that the sword that Orochimaru wielded was a legendary blade, and thus her own katana, though of high quality, was no match for it.

The Kusanagi sliced through the sword, and the Genin effortlessly, although the cut was not deep it was laced with a powerful poison.

Without so much as a second thought the pale man spun around, impaling the girl through the stomach with a reverse handed grip.

What he had not counted on though, was her resilience.

On instinct she grabbed ahold of his wrist though she did not possess the strength to injure him at this point it was still enough to give him pause.

It was all the time she needed to impale him from behind, her sword having been cut at the perfect angle to leave it with a perfect stabbing edge.

The traitor gasped as he was forced to use his _Body Replacement Jutsu_ to create a new body and prevent his own death from bleeding.

Akane fell to the ground, the sword still piercing her torso.

Vaguely she heard a scream of terror from down below before her vision went dark.

 _***SooP***_

Rage

It was a concept that had eluded The Third Hokage for many years. True there had been incidences where his anger had flowed through him, when he had been told of the Uzumaki sisters mistreatment, during the Uchiha rebellion, or when Kumo had attempted to kidnap one of the Hyuga children.

But none of it compared to this moment.

Rage

Liquid fire soaked his veins and muscles as he saw the young girl attempt to protect him in his moment of weakness.

The old should not bury the young.

Rage

It was made worse by the fact that it had been _his_ student that had done this. It was _his_ mistake in not putting the man down when he had the chance. Once more _he_ had failed not only the two young sisters but the village as a whole. If he had killed his traitorous student when everyone had warned him to then none of this would have happened. The blood of his people would not be running through the stadium. Their screams would not fill the air as the walls protecting them buckled under the assault. A young girl would not be lying on the cold ground, blood pooling underneath her.

Rage

'The Professor', one of the three 'God's of Shinobi' was once again awake.

The staff he wielded so fluidly that it became an extension of his body snapped forward, smashing the pale man's ribs effortlessly.

The Sanin leapt backwards, staggered by the sudden blow, but found his enemy already waiting for him.

Hiruzen was not called 'The Professor' just for his knowledge on Jutsu, he was a tactician of the highest regard, and some say that he had no equal in this field.

They were correct.

He read his student's movements, anticipating and reacting before the man could even begin them.

He maneuvered his adversary with a grace and skill that made it seem as if every movement had been the snake summoner's plan to begin with.

Each snapping of bone, each bruise, each tearing of muscle was calculated. Let no one claim that Hiruzen Sarutobi could not be cruel when needed. He was a warrior who had lived through and fought in all three Shinobi World Wars.

He was not to be trifled with.

A quick flurry of hand signs and the elder Shinobi summoned forth a handful of _Kage Bunshin_ , ignoring the strain such a technique was now putting on his dwindling Chakra reserves.

The first summoned a _Rock Dome_ trapping the Sanin from all directions, save one _._ The second and third combined _Water Style: Great Water Drill_ and _Lightning Style: Thunderbolt_ to create a torrent of electrified water surging toward his former student. The fourth and fifth utilized a combination of _Wind Style: Cyclone_ and _Fire Style: Raging Inferno_ to throw a massive wave of flames at the man.

Orochimaru was just able to activate his ultimate defense, _Triple Rashomon_ before the attacks could converge on him.

The first barrier crumbled immediately.

The second gave way a few moments afterwards

The third cracked before the Sanin escaped through a hole he had made in the prison of rock.

As soon as he was free he found the original Hiruzen waiting, slamming him down into the ground below.

 _***SooP***_

His clones dispersed as the Hokage limped back toward the injured Genin, he knew that his Chakra reserves were now depleted and he could barely walk, much less engage in any sort of combat.

He could only pray that his final attack had bought them enough time for a rescue to break through, at least for the girl's sake.

He should have forsaken some of the power and spent the energy healing her instead.

He wondered how that miscalculation would cost them.

Minutes later a figure emerged from the rubble as the Sanin slowly rose to his feet, badly injured and exhausted, but still in better shape than either of his two adversaries.

"My my where did you find this 'Will of Fire' all of a sudden? Don't tell me it is because I stabbed that damn brat? She did manage to take my sword after all I would have thought that would be penalty enough for her injuries."

"There are no penalties harsh enough for you." The old man called out in response.

"Ku ku ku ku, well it matters not what your opinion is you are barely standing while I am still able to attack. The victory is mine, and you along with that damn girl will die here."

"Perhaps, but if that is your decision then you will forfeit your life as well Orochimaru. Your bodyguards are close to running out of Chakra, and in your overconfidence you have missed one very important detail."

"And what would that be, _Sensei_?"

The old man smirked.

"You are surrounded."

 _***SooP***_

The Snake Sanin cursed in rage, his former Sensei was correct.

Behind the two warriors stood Jiraiya, Asuma and Asuma Sarutobi, the former of which was already in his Sage Mode and had looked ready to charge a massive _Rasengan_ in his fury.

To the man's left stood Kakashi, with his Sharingan out and a Chidori already formed. Next to him was Might Gai who had already opened two of the _Gates_ in preparation.

His right flank was covered by Anko, a young Hyuga girl, Kurenai, and the blonde who wielded Mokuton.

Behind him stood Itachi Uchiha, Sharingan eyes blazing in a strange fury that he would not have normally associated with the stoic man. Alongside him were Hayate and Yugao the Kenjutsu masters.

His bodyguards looked ready falter at any moment, and a squad of Anbu had now arrived, ready to intervene and eliminate them.

"Your move Orochimaru" The Third called out, that infuriating smile on his face that meant he knew exactly what the Sanin would do.

He had already planned it out, probably had since the very beginning knowing him.

The snake scowled before giving the signal to his guards, and unleashed a massive quantity of smoke bombs, filling the area and protecting their movements just as the barrier dropped.

A second later Gai, Jiraiya, and Kakashi sped into the area decimating the ground around them as they sought to catch the traitor before he could flee.

Unfortunately Orochimaru had already escaped, along with his four body guards.

"AKANE!" Natsuko's screams echoed out as the smoke cleared, revealing the girl desperately clinging to her sister.

Jiraiya immediately summoned a group of medic Ninja to work on the girl and the injured Hokage.

 _***SooP***_

"So what now Sensei?" Jiraiya inquired, as he stood next to the older man's bed.

"Right now I work on recovering and getting this situation under control. Jiraiya I want you to go and find Tsunade, she is the only hope we have of completely healing Akane. Besides I wanted to speak to her about taking over my position. The battle has shown that I am well past my prime and it is past time for me to retire once more."

"I'm surprised you didn't ask me to take the hat."

The elder Sarutobi chuckled at the Sanin.

"If I thought you would accept it then I might. But we both know you are far too much of a free spirit to do so, besides you're spy ring is too valuable to let go of."

The white haired man nodded before preparing for his departure.

 _***SooP***_

"Kurenai-Sensei, Anko-chan, Hinata-chan, I need to ask a favor from you all." The blonde Uzumaki whispered out, while holding her sisters hand.

Akane had yet to awaken from the coma, despite the fact that she was no longer in life threatening condition.

"What is it Natsuko-chan" The Hyuga girl inquired, her eyes also glued to her teammates unresponsive form, her heart aching from it.

"I need someone I can trust to be with Akane-chan at all times. We have been to the hospital before and last time… well there is a reason we do not come here anymore."

The three Kunoichi nodded in acknowledgement.

"Natsuko-chan where will you be going?" Kurenai asked.

"I need to enlist some more help before I leave with Jiraiya-Sensei to find Tsunade. He told me that she can cure my sister and I intend to bring her back, one way or another."

 _***SooP***_

"Natsuko Uzumaki," A voice called out, interrupting the blonde's travels.

She halted immediately, turning her gaze towards the older of the Uchiha brothers.

"Itachi Uchiha"

"I understand that your sister is in a coma and that you are going to bring Tsunade Senju back to heal her."

"What of it?"

Itachi recognized the look in the girl's eyes it was the expression of a trained Ninja who was always on guard, even in their own village. It was a bit heartbreaking to see one so young looking that way.

"If you need anyone to help look after Akane while you are gone I will be glad to assist. I owe her twice now, once for saving Sasuke in Wave and then for sparing him during the tournament."

The girl nodded hesitantly, before continuing on her journey.

 _***SooP***_

"Kakashi-san" The blonde called out, interrupting the training that the cyclopean Jonin was currently putting his students through.

"Ah Natsuko-chan, to what do we owe your company." The man replied his eyes glued to the orange book he currently held open.

"I need you to help keep an eye on my sister."

"Well I would like to help out, really I would. But I have so much training to do, and then there is the Icha Icha convention that will be in town next week and then…"

The raw killing intent that permeated the air halted the man, and caused the three Genin to gasp in shock.

 **"It was not a request Inu-san"**

The man's visible eye opened wide in shock as he turned towards the girl, her eyes slitted in rage.

"Y-you knew? B-but Akane-chan said…"

"She wasn't aware I knew, but you still smell the same. She always wanted to protect me, even from the abandonment we went through. You owe her Inu, and so help me if I find out that you are late even _once_ …. I will make Orochimaru seem pleasant."

The silver haired man nodded, dumbstruck at the order he had just been given by a Genin.

 _***SooP***_

"You ready to go brat?"

"Yes Ero-Sensei."

"I told you to quit calling me that…"

"And I told you I was ready to leave over an hour ago…"

"Fine fine, fair enough. Alright let's get going!"

'Hold on Akane-chan, I will bring back Tsunade to help you. Let me take care of you like you protected me…'

 _***Flashback***_

"Onee-chan I can hear them coming we need to run!" Natsuko urged, as the two moved through the abandoned building to try and escape the mob.

Akane could hear them though, shouting loudly and drunkenly as they tore through the rooms one by one to find their targets.

The redhead never understood why everyone hated them, and why it was so much worse on their birthday.

They kept running, until they reached a dead end.

She could hear them shouting from down the hall, they were trapped.

Glancing around Akane noticed a nearby window, with a drain pipe outside.

"This way Natsuko, quick out the window and quietly make your way down. I will be right behind you."

The blonde looked like she was protest, but a quick glare told her that it wasn't the time. So she nodded and slowly crawled out and began her decent.

The screams of rage were getting closer Akane knew that if she fled now both would be caught.

She would never allow something like that to happen to Natsuko.

Finding a terrible resolve deep in her soul the redhead ran back into the hallway, and was immediately spotted by the mob.

The torments that they would inflict on her would scar her in ways no one could imagine.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko ran through the village, trying desperately to find someone that would help her that would save her sister.

But no one would come.

The Hokage was out of town, their normal guards gone missing.

The Ichiraku's shop was closed for the night.

No one paid any mind to the frantic 'Demon Girl' who screamed for help.

The village once more abandoned the sisters.

 _***SooP***_

"Akane? AKANE!?" The young blonde screamed as she ran towards the bloody body of her sister, which lay on the forest floor.

 _***End Flashback***_

'Never again' the blonde promised.

 _***Omake***_

Itachi cut through another enemy Chunin effortlessly, it was truly turning into nerve racking day. His brother had been moments from death, and now the village was under attack by two enemies.

Glancing over he caught sight of one of the Genin teams in combat with an enemy Jonin.

Cursing he realized that there was no one close enough to help them, and that he would catch them in a crossfire if he attempted to help from his position, what he needed was….

He saw a blur of red hair moving in the battle below.

A redirection.

"Akane ten o' clock high!" The ANBU shouted, before launching a fireball at her.

The girl glanced up, and caught the fireball in her, still shielded, right hand.

Before throwing it at the location he had directed, incinerating the enemy instantly.

The Uchiha let a rare smirk cross his face.

This girl was proving most interesting.

***A/N***

Whew, and that's the end of the Chunin exams! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, in fact it was probably the one I enjoyed the most of the last few I have done. I hope everyone else agrees.

Before I get any comments complaining that Minato would not have been brought back… meh it felt like way too much of an excuse to not show him early, especially since they retrieve the Hokages later on anyways.

As for the Hokages breaking free of their control, that already is possible in the Manga, I just took it a step further and increased the requirements of the Jutsu. Otherwise why wouldn't the Leaf use this 'all powerful' Jutsu constantly?

I tried not to make Akane too powerful, thus I severely limited her functionality during the battle, and hopefully I toned it down enough to make it moderately believable.

I was originally intending on putting the Omake into the story, but I forgot about it until I was done with the rest of the chapter, at that point it just didn't fit anywhere conveniently so….

As always I hope everyone enjoyed reading!


	16. A Debt to be Repaid

**Sum of our Parts**

A Debt to be Repaid

***I do not own anything involving Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"So Ero-Sanin where is this lady at?" Natsuko inquired, after a few hours of travel.

"Don't you worry about that, I have a very reliable source that tells me that my former teammate will be at Pippu for the next couple of days in preparations for a gambling tournament."

"So she is really good at gambling and winning money then?"

"HAHAHAHA! Oh hell no she isn't she is about the most unlucky human being I have ever met, and I have met a LOT of people. No she just likes to lose money and drink I guess, a pity too she was so talented back when we were a team."

"So what happened? Was it the same thing that turned you into a pervert?"

"Super pervert" The man corrected, earning a giggle from his companion.

"Okay, super pervert."

"Not really, Tsunade had a hard couple of years and I think it just broke her spirit in the end. So she and her apprentice left Konoha and went traveling."

After a few minutes of silence between the two Natsuko whispered out a question that had been plaguing her from the start, "Do you think she can fix Akane-chan?"

"Of course! She isn't called the greatest medic Nin of all time for nothing you know, all we need to do is convince her to come back with us."

"Don't worry about that Ero-Sanin, we will get her back, one way or another."

The man shivered at the way the young blonde said the last part of the statement, suddenly fearing for his teammate's safety.

 _***SooP***_

"Why are we stopping Ero-Sanin? I can keep going which means we can get there faster!" The blonde asked, her tone losing some of its joy and wonderment.

"Because it will be significantly harder to get there at night, besides think of this as part of your training. You should never rush a mission, doing so not only endangers you but your teammates and the objective. Just because you might be able to physically get to a destination does not mean you will be in any shape to act once you get there."

"Do you think she will attack us?"

"No, but that doesn't mean we are in the clear. Orochimaru is still active and he knows how badly your sister was injured. He may very well try and target Tsunade as well to try and prevent us from enlisting her help."

The blonde huffed before plopping down before their campfire.

A few minutes later the white haired man noticed the girl staring into the fire, as if remembering something buried deep inside her mind.

"Something on your mind Natsuko?"

"I… I can't lose her Jiraiya-Sensei… If something happens to Akane-chan, if she doesn't make it… I don't know what I will do. She has always been there to take care of me, she is my source of strength and always has been. When I felt weak or helpless growing up she would be there to push me forward, to encourage me, to be a role model for me. Without her…"

"That won't happen. We will find Tsunade and bring her back, then she will heal Akane and everything will be right in the world again. Don't worry so much about the what if's of the world. All that does is cause doubt and uncertainty."

The young girl smiled at the man, not one of her bright and ridiculously cheerful ones, but one of her genuine smiles.

"So since you have so much damn energy to burn and we aren't going any further tonight I believe it's time to continue your training! Now then I noticed that you required _Kage Bunshin_ to form the _Rasengan_ during the tournament, well let's see if we can get you to form a small one without them."

The blonde nodded happily before starting her Chakra exercises, but despite her cheerful attitude she could not shake her worry for her sister that lay injured back in the village.

 _***SooP***_

Anko stared at the scene wide eyed, her dango falling on the floor, forgotten.

"This… this isn't possible, this can't be happening! What have we done to anger the Shinigami for such a thing!?"

"Very funny Anko-san now if you don't mind, I am here to relieve you."

"ON TIME! You Kakashi Hatake the perpetually late Jonin who wouldn't be on time for anything short of an Icha Icha conference!"

"I get it Anko-san I have a habit of…"

"HABIT!? Oh no no no no no, my eating dango is a habit. Natsuko's consumption of ramen is a habit. This…this is practically part of your soul! In fact I actually don't want to leave you alone with Akane-chan at this point. I am starting to think you are an imposter! WHAT'S THE COLOR OF THE DAY YOU MOTHER FUC…"

"Anko! Seriously… don't you think this is taking it a bit far?"

"I don't know, let's ask Gai shall we? HEY GAI!"

"Oh please for the love of all that is holy in this world don't…"

"YOUTH!"

"Great…." Kakashi muttered out, feeling a massive headache coming on.

"WHAT CAN I ASSISST YOU WITH TODAY ANKO!? DO YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH NEED REKINDLED!?"

The purple haired woman stared at the man for a moment, before growling in response.

"Are you hitting on me…"

"O-OF COURSE NOT ANKO-SAN I WOULD NEVER…."

"Oh so what your saying is you are too good for me then…"

"N-NO OF COURSE NOT I WAS JUST…"

"Enough!" Kakashi shouted in irritation, before taking several deep breaths to calm himself.

"Anyway, Gai we have a major problem and I need your input, you see I believe Kakashi is an imposter… he arrived _on time_ for his shift."

The bowl cut Jonin stared wide eyed and horrified at his best friend, who sighed in response.

"Truly this is serious indeed, for an enemy Ninja to get this far into our village is quite intimidating. There is but one way to deal with this… KAKASHI! MY ETERNAL RIVAL, I CHALLENGE YOU TO A FEAT OF STRENGTH AND WILL!"

"Hm did you say something Gai?"

"CURSE YOUR HIP ATTITUDE!"

"I still say we check him for…"

"WOULD YOU THREE SHUT THE HELL UP! My god I can hear you from outside of the freaking hospital." Kurenai roared as she entered the hallway.

"Oh hey Kurenai-chan whatsup?"

"I was on my way back home after visiting Hinata and I heard three idiots screaming from outside."

"Well in my defense…. Kakashi was on time..." Anko replied with a sage nod.

The red eyed Kunoichi slowly turned towards the silver haired man, her eyes wide in horror.

"Seriously…." Kakashi lamented, this perpetually tardy thing was starting to become way more trouble than it was worth.

"Kakashi… what's the color of the day?" The Genjutsu mistress asked softly, while reaching for a kunai.

"Oh for the love of Kami! It's green alright!"

 _***SooP***_

"So this is the place huh?" the Uzumaki asked, staring up at the bright neon 'Casino' sign.

"Yep, but the tournament doesn't start for another few hours, until then I will see if I can pick up her trail in town, meantime you go check us into a nice hotel and…"

"Why?"

The Sanin blinked, a bit confused at the girl's question.

"What do you mean 'why'?"

"Why would we bother getting a hotel, if the tournament is today then no matter what we will find Tsunade and leave before tonight, there is no reason to…"

"Natsuko…" The man calmly interrupted, before crouching down to look the girl in the face. "I know you are worried about Akane, but she will be okay. We are just getting a hotel on the off chance we run into complications. I fully intend on leaving today but as Shinobi you must always hope for the best, plan for the worst."

"How do you want me to plan for my sister dying?"

The man's eyes widened in shock as tears began forming at the young girls eyes when she asked this.

He really needed to start thinking these 'words of wisdom' through before saying them.

"That's not what I meant Natsuko, she isn't going to die. That is not an option so remove it from your mind."

The blonde nodded slowly, before the toad summoner gave her a soft smile.

"Alright, how about this, we will split up and start searching now. If we don't find her by the time of the tournament's start you get us a room while I scope it out. You wouldn't be able to come into the casino anyways."

She nodded happily before taking off in search of the woman.

 _***SooP***_

"It should have been me you know…" Kakashi whispered out, as he stared at the young girl laying comatose in the bed.

"I should have been there to protect you and your sister. I should have just stayed with you when you were growing up rather than just watching from afar. It's just that… I guess I was afraid, I was afraid that if I got too close that you two would be taken from me just like everyone else has been. I was afraid of failing you two just like all the others."

The silver haired man stood, and slowly walked to the window, gazing out at the moon lit Konoha.

"But I guess I failed you anyway didn't I? If I had been there I could have saved you. I could have stopped whatever it was that happened, I could have stopped those monsters from ever laying a hand on you…"

The man held back a choked out sob, memories of his Sensei filling his mind, and the fact that he had let the man down once again.

"You should have been on my team, not Kurenai's. I wanted to teach you both so badly, to make my Sensei proud of me. But after seeing how my current team turned out I don't know if that would have been a good idea or not. I can't imagine either of you getting along with Sasuke, the spoiled brat. Plus we would have had to deal with Sakura stalking you two for taking 'her love away' or some such nonsense."

The Jonin chuckled, before returning to his chair.

"How the hell anyone ever let her graduate from the academy is beyond me, course I let her pass my test so I am just as much to blame if not more so. I guess I see myself in Sasuke, so much anger and drive. Being called a prodigy and genius by everyone, I can relate to him. But maybe that is the problem. Maybe because I _can_ relate to him I choose him over the others, I have trained him so much harder than Kiba or Sakura. Everyone has seen that result, Kiba practically molested a fellow Ninja and Sakura is about the most pathetic Ninja I have ever laid eyes on."

A deep sigh filled the air.

"Would I have neglected your training for Sasuke as well? Deemed you too weak to become a Ninja with all of your deficiencies? Would you have trusted me with your secrets like you did Jiraiya? Would you have trusted me at all?"

The man let the silence of the night fill the room once more, leaving himself to his own thoughts and the steady beeping of the heart monitor as his only comfort.

 _***SooP***_

"Hey Tsunade-hime long time no see!"

"Oh great look who it is… the pervert…"

"Aww come on now don't be like that, aren't you just a little happy to see me?"

"You know what Jiraiya, yes I am."

The man gave a large grin.

"Because that means that now I can personally knock your teeth out!"

"Now let's be reasonable about this hime, I'm not here to start trouble I just wanted to talk to you about something…"

"I'll give you ten seconds Jiraiya."

"Orochimaru attacked Konoha and badly injured someone who saved Sensei's life. We need you to come back and heal her. Also Sensei wants to talk to you about something but I don't know what."

The man amazingly got the entire speech out within ten seconds, much to the blonde woman's irritation.

"Come back to Konoha? Pass, I have better things to…"

"Ero-Sanin! There you are, I have been looking for you. Oh hey is that the Tsunade lady who is going to fix Akane-chan?" Natsuko interrupted as she burst into the diner.

"Ero-Sanin? Oh that's just fantastic, who's the brat Jiraiya?"

"She is one of my two new students. Her sister is the one who is injured Tsunade."

"Ah, well that does suck. Sorry brat I have better things to do."

"B-but my sister is dying! She saved your Sensei's life and protected Konoha!"

"Well then she is a fool, I bet she has all these big delusions about becoming Hokage too right?"

"No, I'm going to be Hokage!" the blonde countered, her voice rising in desperation.

"You see Shizune? I told you everyone in Konoha is a fool. Look brat nothing good comes from that position. You and your sister should just give up such a dream. I bet Hiruzen wants me to take over for him right?"

"That was the idea Tsunade, he is getting too old for this you know that. He needs to retire and Akane needs to have the wounds she sustained healed." Jiraiya replied.

"Lady Tsunade we should go back, at least to help the girl. She saved your Sensei and…"

"No! I don't give a shit who she is, if she was stupid enough to get herself stabbed then…

Before she could finish Tsunade found herself thrown up against the wall, held up by her collar by an enraged Genin.

 **"Listen bitch, I don't care whether you come back and become Hokage or not, you seem pretty worthless to me to become something so important. But you** ** _will_** **be coming back to heal my sister or so help me I will break your damn legs and drag you back by your hair!"**

The girl's eyes had shifted into a deep crimson, her voice becoming powerful and demonic, just as her pupils began to become slits the ground started shaking from her fury.

But the most terrifying thing, in Tsunade's opinion at least, was that she could see roots begin tearing their way through the floor.

Few things in the world were more terrifying than an enraged Mokuton user, one of which was probably an enraged Jinchuriki Mokuton user.

"Natsuko that's enough!" Jiraiya shouted, while he attempted to pull the small girl off of his teammate.

Finally he succeeded, just as the Kunoichi's eyes shifted back to normal, and her features faded back to what they should have been.

"Go get something to drink and let me talk to Tsunade, we can't have you bringing the entire building down on our heads." The toad summoner ordered.

Receiving a glare and a huff for his efforts the blonde stormed out of the building to find relieve some stress.

"See Shizune it's just like…" Tsunade stuttered out, before receiving a glare from her own apprentice.

"How incredibly compassionate of you Lady Tsunade, the girl's sister is dying and you throw it back in her face." The brunette then ran out after the blonde, hoping to speak to the girl.

"What the hell just happened…" The slug Sanin muttered out, before picking herself up off the floor and sitting back down.

"Looks like you pissed off the only known Jinchuriki Mokuton user alive, nice going by the way."

"Can it Jiraiya, you want to explain to me how the hell she has my grandfather's bloodline?"

"Probably because she is related to him, how else do you think she has it."

"Jiraiya… who is she?"

"Who the hell do you think? She's Minato and Kushina's kid, or at least one of them." He whispered out, hoping to avoid any prying ears.

Luckily the diner had been mostly emptied by that point and the few left had fled during the shaking.

"So he did seal it into his kids, stupid bastard now who the hell is left to look after them?"

"They don't have very many, I know Sensei does what he can and Kakashi has been trying his best but they have had a rough life up until now. The only people they truly count on are each other which makes what you said and did about ten times worse."

"You could have warned me you know…"

"What, and miss out on you pissing yourself in fear of a Genin? Not a chance."

"Alright fine, so how is Konoha doing after the attack?"

"It's functioning, things are still pretty chaotic since they aren't sure if Suna is officially declaring war on them or not, plus now that we know Orochimaru has his own nation it could very well escalate into a two on one war. We need you back hime, and this time it isn't a request. If this does escalate then we could be dragged into another war and you know that Orochimaru would target you first, before you can interfere." The spy master pointed out.

Tsunade growled in annoyance.

"Damnit… yeah I know. You know how much I hate that place though."

"I know, but trust me Tsunade, those two girls have far more reasons to hate Konoha than you do. They have lost just about everything to that village and they have almost nothing to show for it. Meanwhile you are still hailed as a hero and legend. You are allowed to come and go as you please and rumor is you are still on the payroll due to Sensei."

"What are you saying Jiraiya? That I owe him?"

"No… I'm saying that for all we did and failed to do. We owe those two sisters, and it is time to pay on your debt for once."

 _***SooP***_

"I'm glad you came with us baa-chan!"

"For the last time brat stop calling me that!"

"You might as well just get used to it hime, she has been calling me Ero-Sanin since we met."

"That makes sense though Jiraiya, you _are_ a pervert. I am _not_ old!" the slug summoner shot back in annoyance.

Shizune giggled as she watched the antics of the two former teammates, and the young blonde who she had grown quite fond of since their talk after 'the incident'.

 _***Flashback***_

"Hey wait up!" the medical apprentice called out, finally forcing the Genin to slow down and allow the out of breath Kunoichi to catch up.

After taking a few deep breaths Shizune was able to straighten herself out and look over the blonde, who appeared to have tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I can't fail here, m-my sister's life is in danger right now and that _woman_ is the only one who can help."

"I understand, I don't know what Lady Tsunade's problem is right now but I am sure she will help, she is the greatest medical Ninja in the world after all and I can't imagine her ever turning down a request to help someone."

"She has before…" the young girl muttered out quietly.

"What did you…"

"Never mind, it doesn't matter. Sorry if I scared you back there it's just that… Akane-chan is all I have left…"

"No need to apologize, my name is Shizune by the way. I am Lady Tsunade's apprentice."

"Natsuko Uzumaki, apprentice to Ero-Sanin and future Hokage!" The blonde cheerfully exclaimed.

The older Kunoichi immediately felt her spirits lifted at the girl's optimism, it was like dark clouds had just parted and sunshine had come pouring through.

"So you and your sister are both Genin huh?" Shizune continued, immediately wanting to get to know her fellow Kunoichi.

"Yep! Akane-chan is awesome, she is like really fast and strong and super dangerous, oh and she's really good with a sword, and she can totally beat up like anyone!"

Shizune giggled a bit at the girl's excitement.

"She sounds amazing, what about you?"

"Oh I'm nothing special really, but my other teammate is Hinata and she is like suuuuper smart and has all these really cool Jutsu and can like touch peoples arms and make them go limp, its realllly cool."

"You seem quite special to me, back in the diner that was Mokuton wasn't it? I have heard stories about it from Lady Tsunade."

"Oh that? Yeah sorry, Akane-chan said not to use that since people would try and take advantage of it or something. Akane-chan usually knows a lot about these things too."

"Well it is quite special, I have only heard of one other person ever being able to use it so you are quite the unique person Natsuko-san."

"You can call me Natsuko-chan if you want." The blonde smiled happily, as she threw herself into a hug around the medical apprentice.

 _***End Flashback***_

After that the two had only grown closer in their journey back to Konoha, which was surprisingly quiet and tame compared to when the two Kunoichi normally left a town.

Of course Natsuko had been pestering them to go faster the entire time but the white haired Sanin had reminded her that if they arrived early but Tsunade was too exhausted to help it would set them back even further.

Reluctantly the pouting blonde had agreed.

"So baa-chan are you going to stay in Konoha or leave immediately?"

"I told you to… you know what never mind. I was planning on leaving immediately. I hate that damn village."

"Why?"

Tsunade froze in place, while the two older Ninja tensed just in case there was another incident.

"You have the nerve to ask me why?" The older woman growled out, earning a confused look from the Genin.

"That village took everything from me! My family, my husband, my brother! EVERYTHING!" the woman screamed at the blonde, who took a few steps back, wide eyed in fear.

The Sanin took another step forward, and the blonde reacted on instinct, leaping away for protection.

"Damnit Tsunade she didn't know." Jiraiya mumbled.

"Oh right and you didn't tell her?" The medical Kunoichi growled out sarcastically, before noticing the expression on the man's face. "You really didn't tell her…" she repeated, this time far softer in a guilty tone. "Natsuko come back I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap at you." The woman called out, and slowly the blonde emerged from behind a tree she had been using for cover, a look of fear still etched on her face.

"Jiraiya, what the hell happened to her?" the older woman whispered out, before crouching down to the Genin's eye level to show she had no hostility.

"I only know bits and pieces from what happened during their Chunin exams. But I will say this, I am going to have a long and _painful_ discussion with Sensei when we get back and Akane is healed."

"Count me in…" Tsunade muttered out, as she finally coaxed the blonde out of hiding.

"I'm sorry Natsuko, I just have a lot of bad memories of that place. I didn't mean to scare you. I am from the Senju clan so both my grandfather and granduncle were Hokage. They both died protecting that village, and then my young brother was killed in his quest to become Hokage just like my husband was as well."

"I'm sorry baa-chan, I can't imagine what that feels like, to lose your family like that…"

The slug Sanin sent a slight glance towards her teammate in question, in which the man shook his head slightly.

"Is your sister the only family you know of then?" the older Kunoichi questioned.

Natsuko nodded sadly, "Yeah, we have tried to find out who our parents were but no one knows, not even Jiji. We thought that maybe Jiraiya would know since he is our Godfather on our birth records but he didn't either."

"Sorry Natsuko, I know how badly you want to know about your parents but I am just an adopted Godfather, the Fourth asked me to take care of you two due to your tenant so I don't know who they were either."

The white haired man did his best to ignore the glare from his teammate.

 _***SooP***_

Less than a week from their departure Natsuko, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune walked through the gates of Konoha and headed straight for the hospital.

Despite her best efforts the slug summoner had also formed a bond with the young blonde. She saw in her the same determination as her family, along with the cheerfulness that she also had as a child.

After arriving at the girl's room, and asking Kakashi to stay behind for a moment to get an update on the village, the Sanin went to work stabilizing and then reviving the young redhead.

 _***SooP***_

As Akane opened her eyes she immediately tensed at seeing the Sanin looking over her wounds, and the unfamiliar setting.

Tsunade, of course, noticed the reaction and looked up to the girl to comfort her, before appearing shocked herself.

"Ah Akane-chan, I am glad to see you are awake once more." Hiruzen called out, gaining the girl's attention and calming her down slightly.

"H-how long was I out for?" The girl inquired, her voice hoarse from the lack of fluids over the past few days.

"About a week, don't worry about that right now though, you still need to rest and rehydrate." Jiraiya replied with a warm smile on his face at seeing the girl on her way to recovery.

"She will be okay right baa-chan?" Natsuko asked.

The slug Sanin continued staring at the girl for a moment, before snapping out of her daze and giving the Genin a comforting smile.

"Of course she will, as long as she stays hydrated and gets plenty of rest I would say you should be recovered in a week at most. I will be back in a bit to check on you but I need to talk to the Hokage and my teammate about a few things first okay?"

The blonde Uzumaki nodded toward the older woman, before returning her attention to the bedridden girl.

 _***SooP***_

"So which one of you wants to explain to me why that girl has the same look in her eyes as someone from Nanking?" Tsunade growled out, after the four older Ninja had relocated to an empty room in the hospital.

Hiruzen lowered his head at the question, unable to meet the woman's gaze, while the other three stared in confusion.

"Lady Tsunade what is Nanking?" Shizune questioned, a glance towards the silver haired man provided no answer, as the man shrugged in response

Jiraiya himself had taken on a questioning expression, trying to recall where he had heard that name before, when the facts came back to his mind, and the room flooded with killing intent.

A second later The Third found himself slammed into a wall, cracking it in the process.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU LET THEM DO TO MY GODDAUGHTER!?" The man shouted in rage.

"Whatever happened it was both of our faults Jiraiya… I was supposed to look after them but I was sent on a mission and…"

"I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT YOUR EXCUSES KAKASHI" The toad Sanin interrupted in a roar.

"Lady Tsunade, what happened in Nanking?" Shizune whispered out in a confused and terrified voice.

The woman just shook her head though, not trusting herself to answer her own student.

Moments later Jiraiya dropped the older man to the floor, before turning to leave the room.

As he reached the door though he glanced back, "You know, for the first time in my life… I am glad that Minato and Kushina are dead."

The others in the room gasped at the man's declaration, save for Shizune who was even more confused than before.

"If they were alive to see what you had let their children go through… they would have burnt the village to the ground." The white haired man finished, before storming out of the room.

 _***SooP***_

Over the next few days the tension felt in Konoha began to dissipate as more information began coming in, through spy networks and direct communications.

Apparently the true Kazekage had been murdered by the Snake Sanin, who later impersonated the man in order to manipulate Suna into a war.

Suna was currently under lockdown until the situation resolved itself and the village could be stabilized.

There was no threat of war from that direction.

Orochimaru had fled back to his own small nation to attempt to replenish the forces that had been utterly decimated during the attack.

With that threat diminished the council was able to address the minor issues that had been brought up during the exam. Thus it had summoned all the Jonin Sensei, and their Genin teams to discuss the results of the exams and give awards where needed.

The only two not present were the Uzumaki sisters, since Akane was still in recovery and Natsuko refused to leave her alone, especially with everyone she trusted unavailable.

"Now then, we have read over all of the recommendations for promotions that were submitted both by the proctors and the Sensei themselves. As such we will now make our decisions on the Genin to be promoted to Chunin." Shikaku called out to those assembled before the clan heads, civilian council, and the Hokage's personal group.

"First up is Shikamaru Nara, who displayed tactical ability during every stage, calm presence of mind, and combat abilities. He was also seen taking on a leadership role during the invasion itself, helping to prevent any loss of life among our Genin. For these reasons he has been chosen for promotion." Choza finished, smiling at the Genin who had muttered about how troublesome this would now make his life.

"Next up is Shino Aburame, who also displayed impressive tactical ability during his battle and a calm mind for analyzing the situation. His promotion has also been approved." Inoichi Yamanaka stated, creating further applause among those assembled.

At this point Asuma was grinning from ear to ear, he knew that Choji and Ino weren't ready quite yet but the fact that two of his students were promoted was a serious ego boost.

"For his determination and skill in combat this council has approved the promotion of Neji Hyuga to the rank of Chunin." Tsume growled out. She had personally been opposed to the promotion, but the Hyuga clan head still had quite a large amount of political power and thus was able to push his son through the debate.

Neji nodded slightly in thanks, though he wasn't sure what part of his match had qualified him for the honor.

"Next up, my son Sasuke Uchiha has been approved for promotion due to his tactical and combat abilities." Mikoto praised, ignoring the quiet murmurs of disagreement from a few of the other council members.

 _***SooP***_

Itachi shook his head in disgust. This was just another sign of the problems involving the village, for a Ninja to be promoted simply because of their clan, rather than whether they deserved it or not, was ridiculous and irresponsible.

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke smirked, soaking in the praise of his fellow classmates. Though what Orochimaru had told him during the second phase of the tournament was still weighing heavily on his mind, before clutching the brand on his neck.

 _***Flashback***_

"They will betray you eventually Sasuke-kun, one way or another, just as they betrayed your clan. They will force Kakashi to focus on your weaker teammates instead of you. They will put you as a lower priority to Itachi just like they always have. You cannot truly surpass him, you cannot truly become recognized for your own genius as long as you stay in that village, under their rule." The snake Sanin taunted as they fought.

 _***End Flashback***_

Time would only tell whether the man spoke the truth or not, so far though everything seemed to be going as it should for the boy.

Sasuke's smirk grew.

"That will be all for the promotions, now on to other matters, for his award in bravery…" Danzo spoke up, before opening a small box filled with ribbons and medals.

'This can't be right, they promoted Genin who showed no skill beyond what their clans taught them and yet Hinata, Akane, and Natsuko were all overlooked? This is outrageous!' Kurenai fumed, as she clasped her hands onto the Hyuga Kunoichi's shoulders, showing her support for the girl.

"I believe you are forgetting a handful of Kunoichi Danzo…" Hiruzen called out from his seat.

"Unfortunately Hokage-Sama that is not the case right now, with the threat of war gone the promotions to Genin through the exams are voted on by the council. You were the one who helped set this system up if you recall, to ensure that the Hokage was not accused of favoritism." The heavily bandaged man reminded his former teammate.

The village leader growled quietly, knowing that the other man was right.

Hinata just glanced up and gave her a slight smile, before returning her attention to the speech.

 _***SooP***_

Most of the Jonin who had been present in the stadium had received some form of award, along with Jiraiya and several of the Genin.

Nothing had been given to any of Kurenai's students, despite their contributions, and finally Anko had put up with it long enough.

"Excuse me Hokage-Sama, but what about the three _Genin_ from Kurenai's team?" the Jonin called out, putting emphasis where she felt the largest mistake had been made.

"What about them Anko-San?" Koharu inquired, a slight smirk forming on her damned face.

"I mean shouldn't they be receiving awards as well, Akane is one of the reasons that the Hokage is still alive, and Natsuko single handedly stopped the enemy Jinchuriki. Hinata was later seen helping many of the civilians and Genin reach shelter and defeated several opponents despite her exhaustion." The purple haired woman pointed out.

"Don't you worry about them Anko-San, we have… plans… for the de- I mean Uzumaki brats."

Kurenai growled at the hidden meaning, there was no way in hell she was going to let anyone hurt them again.

"This brings us to our next topic though, the fact that Natsuko Uzumaki displayed the use of Mokuton during the invasion." Danzo called out, bringing attention back to himself, "The fact of the matter is that this should not even be possible, unless of course the two sisters are related to the Senju…"

"Danzo…" The Third growled out in warning.

"Regardless of how they have access to it, this is the exact kind of situation that we created the CRA for, I would like to call a vote to place both sisters into the act immediately, and I wish to nominate my two sons for potential donors." The Uchiha clan head called out, earning nods from various members of the council.

"I swear if any of you try to put my Goddaughters into that glorified rape act I will tear you to pieces." Jiraiya called out in rage.

"It is not up to you Jiraiya, nor is it up to the Hokage now. Clan matters such as this are voted on by the council, you know that." The Hyuga head reminded the Sanin.

Hinata could only watch on in horror as they began preparing to vote on the fate of her two teammates, before her own anger got the better of her.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO THEM, HAVEN'T THEY SUFFERED ENOUGH? YOU SHOULD BE CALLING THEM HEROES!"

Kurenai nodded in agreement.

"Bah those two demons are nothing more than clan less orphans..." one of the civilian members spat.

"THEY ARE THE DAUGHTERS OF MINATO NAMIKAZE AND KUSHINA UZUMAKI YOU PIECE OF TRASH!" Anko roared out, earning silence from the various Ninja and civilians gathered.

Hiruzen's fingers dug into the desk in front of him, his anger boiling to the surface. This was not how that information was supposed to be released.

"Th-they are…" Neji muttered out, completely losing his Hyuga composure.

Kurenai just let out a sigh, she had a feeling something like this would happen eventually, glancing down though she saw a horrified look on her student's face.

"Hinata what is… oh no…"

Slowly the various members of the room turned to where the two Kunoichi were staring, to the entrance of the room.

Where Akane and Natsuko stood, wide eyed.

***A/N***

Whoops! Well the secrets out now. I wonder how the two sisters will take the idea that so many people knew and didn't tell them…

Lots of angsty goodness planned for next chapter, along with secrets that will be shared and history lessons galore!

I know some people will probably be annoyed at the whole "Council" idea being used in yet another story, but the fact of the matter is that an entire village is way too large for a single person to completely control. Even the most malevolent dictators did not control every single action that occurred in their country, they had groups of loyal followers who they dictated these responsibilities to.

For those of your that might have be a bit confused, the "color of the day" reference is for undercover cops to be able to be identified. I figured with Ninja having so many disguises and such it would be natural that they create ways to identify friendlies or not.

Hope everyone enjoyed reading the last part took a long time for me to get to a point where it didn't sound completely wrong to me.


	17. Broken Ties

**Sum of our Parts**

Broken Ties

Big thanks to all my readers.

***I still do not own Naruto if I did the female characters would have been way more important. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

The two sisters stood frozen in place, their eyes focused on those they trusted most in the room.

"N-Natsuko, Akane this isn't…" Hinata called out to the two sisters, trying to save the destruction of her friendship with the two girls.

The blonde just slowly shook her head back and forth, tears pouring down her face at the betrayal she felt in her heart.

A second later she ran from the room.

Akane, however, narrowed her eyes to a glare that would have caused even the most experienced of Shinobi to take a step backwards in fear.

"This is why I hate this village." Was all she whispered out, before turning and leaving to chase after her sister.

Hiruzen swore under his breath, before glancing toward the white haired Sanin, who had lowered his eyes towards the floor in shame.

"Jiraiya…"

The toad summoner lifted his head, and for the first time Hiruzen saw defeat in the man's eyes.

"Yeah…" with that the man took off after the two, hoping to catch up to them and try to make amends for yet another series of wrongs in the young girls lives.

The remaining individuals in the room were still silent.

The Genin were all trying to come to terms with the facts that had just been revealed.

The Jonin who had been left in the dark were wondering how they had never noticed the familiar resemblance.

The Council members…

"This changes nothing. In fact if anything this only make a better case for the CRA to be implemented!" one of the civilian remarked, snapping the various Ninja out of their thoughts and creating a target for the room to focus in on.

"Absolutely not! If you think that my granddaughters are going to be used as breeding stock then…"

"Your granddaughters?!" Ino interrupted Tsunade, as the others also gaped at the woman.

"How do you think the girl has Mokuton, I thought it would be fairly obvious by now." Shikaku stated.

"So you are related to Kushina then…" Asuma muttered out, connecting the dots in his mind.

The slug Sanin shook her head.

"No, Minato was my son."

Again eyes widened in shock.

"B-but that's…"

"It was after Dan died, I briefly fell in love with another man who reminded me of him, a Namikaze. Through that brief affair I was given a child."

"This means that they are biologically related to three major clans as well as three Hokages…" Danzo mumbled, a plan already forming in his mind to exploit the girls.

"I call for a vote on whether to enact the CRA on the two de-brats." One of the civilians shouted, earning nods of agreement from several others.

"You can't be serious…" Anko shook her head in disbelief and rage.

 _***SooP***_

Meanwhile Natsuko was running as fast as her legs could carry her, she had to get away from everyone, from everything.

How many people had known? How many people had she and her sister trusted with their hopes and dreams only for them to be crushed.

Was it some sick joke, another way to torment the 'demon brats'?

 **'Slow down Nastuko-chan, you can't run without purpose, you need to find somewhere safe to think.'**

'I can't stop Kyuubi-chan, I can't…. it hurts so much…'

 **'I know, but you need to give Akane a chance to catch up, she still isn't recovered fully and you making her run like this is only going to make things worse.'**

The blonde's eyes widened as she stopped at a nearby alley and glanced back to where she saw her sister about a block behind, struggling to catch up with her, while holding her chest wound.

"Akane-chan…" Natsuko muttered out, before jogging back to the redhead, who halted to catch her breath.

"You shouldn't have chased after me onee-chan it isn't good for your wounds."

"Did you really think I was just going to let you run off by yourself?" The girl asked, all while gasping for air.

"Come on let's get somewhere safe where we can relax. Kyuubi-chan has an idea where."

The redhead nodded before the two walked off into the shadows.

 _***SooP***_

"All in favor?" Danzo called out.

Most of the civilians raised their hands.

"Aye" called out Shikaku Nara, despite knowing that the girls were not demons he had to act in the best interest of his clan and the village.

"Aye" Chouza Akimichi joined in, knowing that the three clans were too important to allow them to be destroyed by chance.

"Aye" Hizashi Hyuga declared, already planning on his son being one of those chosen.

"Aye" Mikoto Uchiha spoke, softly but full of determination. She knew what this meant for the girls but she also knew the importance of keeping a clan intact. The CRA had already been discussed for her sons.

"Aye" Tsume reluctantly whispered out. Despite knowing what was going to happen to them she couldn't risk the village's future for the lives of two young girls. Hopefully they would forgive her someday.

"Nay" Inoichi roared out in anger, he couldn't believe his friends were voting yes to such a deplorable thing.

"Inoichi why…"

"How can you even ask me that?" The man growled at the Akimichi leader, who lowered his head in shame. "If the situation were different would you be voting on my daughter to be raped?"

"That's…"

"Nay" Hiruzen growled out, casting his vote as Hokage.

"Nay" Asuma also voted. Despite his few interactions with the girls he knew exactly who had saved his father's life. He could never do such a thing to children, especially those who sacrificed themselves for the safety of his family.

"Nay" Tsunade also declared.

"I am sorry lady Tsunade, but the Sanin are not given a vote in these proceedings, and you have been out of the village for too long, thus nullifying your vote as Senju head." Danzo replied with a smirk, earning a death glare from the woman.

A few of the civilians voted no but the majority was in favor of passing

"Well then it appears as though…"

"Actually Danzo-San you are forgetting something." Surprisingly it was Itachi who interrupted.

"You have no right to speak here boy, despite your record as one of our…"

"He is a clan heir Danzo, which means he does carry the right to speak during these meetings." Hiruzen interrupted, gesturing for the Uchiha to proceed.

"You are forgetting three major clans and their votes. The Senju, the Uzumaki, and the Namikaze, since their lineage has been revealed the two sisters are now the heirs and leaders of the three clans."

"They cannot vote on the act concerning themselves!" a civilian roared out in protest.

"True, but you are voting on initiating the CRA with the girls themselves, not the clans the individual clans. As such you are combining three different issues into one, and if I recall correctly 'any attempts to keep a clan from voting in a council discussion that does not directly affect them is illegal.' You wouldn't be attempting to do such a thing would you council member?" Itachi inquired, in a dangerously low tone.

"O-of course not! However the girl's are not here which means…"

"Which means that their vote goes to their closest living relative… which I believe would be one Tsunade Senju if I am not mistaken."

The blonde Kunoichi grinned menacingly.

"I vote nay, three times." The Sanin called out with a grin.

"It does not matter, even with these votes the vote still passes." Danzo reminded the room.

"True… however I notice that Jiraiya has been gone for quite a long time now…" Itachi noted curiously.

 _***SooP***_

"What are we going to do onee-chan? They knew… all of them knew this entire time and no one told us…"

"What do you think we should do Natsuko?"

 **'This decision is up to you Natsuko-chan, we both know that no matter what you choose Akane will follow you to the ends of the earth if that is what you decide.'**

'This can't just be up to me though her life will be just as affected…'

"I-I don't know anymore… you always have the best instincts when it comes to these type of things Akane-chan, what should I do?"

"You should follow what your heart tells you to do." The redhead whispered out after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know who to trust anymore…"

"I hope you can still trust me." A voice called out, causing the two girls to spin around from their place on the Hokage monument and face the intruder.

Jiraiya came walking from the nearby tree line.

"You knew…" Akane growled out accusingly.

The Sanin nodded sadly.

"Yes… and I wanted to tell you believe me I did it's just that… your mother and father had a lot of enemies and I knew that once your heritage was revealed they would force the CRA issue."

"What's the…" the blonde began, before her sister chimed in.

"The Clan Restoration Act, it is enacted when a major clan is reduced to a very small population and is designed to preserve bloodlines. It forces the few remaining members to breed and produce children with no regards for their wants." Akane growled out.

"A glorified rape act created back during the wars, back when survival of the village and military power were deemed more important than anything else." Jiraiya nodded in confirmation, silently cursing the Second Hokage for creating such a thing.

"How do you know about it Akane?" The white haired man inquired.

"I overheard discussions about it one day. When I found out about Natsuko's 'gift' I broke into the library and I knew that she had to keep it a secret."

"That's why no one knew about her ability to do Mokuton. You realized what they would do to her…"

"Exactly." The redhead nodded, while shifting closer to her sister in a protective way.

"Listen you don't need to worry about me, I swear. I am not going to let that happen to either of you. Right now the council is going to be initiating a vote and if they pass that 'act' I will be taking the two of you out of Konoha."

"Where will we go Jiraiya-Sensei?" the blonde asked hesitantly.

"You let me worry about that, I may be a bit of a pervert but I am also Konoha's greatest spymaster. I always had a suspicion that they might try this on the two of you when they learned about your heritage so I had backup plans setup should we ever need to leave."

"So what is the plan then Jiraiya-San?"

The man smiled at the trust the girl was now placing with him.

"Go back to your apartment and quietly pack anything you want from it. After tonight I doubt you will ever see it again."

 _***SooP***_

"This is ridiculous! Hiruzen deploy the ANBU immediately and have them retrieve the girls!" Danzo shouted, losing his cool attitude at the thought of his newest plans being ruined.

"Excuse me?"

The room fell silent at the tone that was returned, while The Third slowly stood and walked around the council table.

It was not the same Hiruzen that everyone had known though, each step was measured, calculated.

He seemed more like a predator circling his prey than a kindly old man.

The God of Shinobi was awake once more.

"I must have misheard you Danzo, surely you did not give _me_ an order of how to deploy _my_ ANBU."

There was no rise in volume, no killing intent released, there was no threat directly stated.

Still everyone in the room grew fearful of this man.

"O-of course not Hokage-Sama, but the council has voted and…"

"Then the council members may go and retrieve them if they are so eager to do so." The Hokage responded to the civilian.

The non-Shinobi who had voted 'yes' paled at this declaration.

Even the Ninja seemed reluctant to speak up. Jiraiya might have been a pervert and a bit of a weirdo but he was still a Sanin for a reason.

"B-but Hokage-Sama, the ANBU are here to serve the will of the village as well as yours. Surely they should be deployed to…"

A chuckling interrupted the random civilian's protest.

"Jiraiya of the Sanin is a six foot three inches tall man with waste length white hair. He is one of the most successful authors in the world and one of its best known perverts. He is probably one of the five most recognizable Ninja alive today." Itachi called out.

This only further encouraged those in favor of the CRA, causing many of them, Danzo included, to smirk at how easy the task truly would be.

"And yet, how many times as he slipped past border patrols in how many countries? He has infiltrated every Ninja village in existence and escaped without detection. He has contacts in every town and in every nation, speaks every local dialect, and knows every custom. He will blend in, disappear, you will _never_ see him again. They could easily live off of the income from his current books for the rest of their lives without issue. That is even if you could find enough Ninja to send after them. The ANBU are loyal to three people, The Hokage, Kakashi whom many view as their only true Captain, and myself who the rest view as a hero. None of us are going to ask them to retrieve the girls. Most of the Jonin have either trained them or owe them for saving their Genin. Hell even many of their classmates have been saved by them, my brother included."

"Of course this is completely pointless to begin with. Jiraiya doesn't even _need_ to hide. Natsuko has signed the Toad summoning contract and as far as I have been told they have welcomed Akane with open arms as well. The three of them could live at Mount Myoboku for the rest of their lives without problem and if any of you get the stupid idea of trying to forcibly take them from there then remember this, there are three 'sacred' places for all Summonings. Places that all have agreed upon even despite their differences, taking an army to that mountain is the equivalent of declaring war on the Summonings themselves. At best you would break all current contracts in the Shinobi world, at worst you risk a war that no nation could win." Tsunade chimed in with a smirk.

Several moments passed while the various leaders thought in silence.

"Then what do we do?" Chouza asked quietly.

"Pray that they someday decide to come back to this Kami forsaken place."

 _***SooP***_

The various Genin sat shocked at how the meeting had gone so far.

Those who had parents who had voted 'yes' were disgusted beyond belief, many of them knowing exactly what they were voting on.

Those few whose parents had disagreed were still outraged that the idea had even come up.

Choji felt like vomiting at his father's vote, while Shikamaru had a look of being betrayed in his eyes.

Neji could only wonder how their clan had fallen to such low levels as forcing young girls to produce children against their will.

The various Kunoichi felt mixtures of betrayal, horror, and fury that their classmates were being considered for such a vile thing.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright is that everything?" The white haired man inquired, seeing the two girls with backpacks approaching him.

"Yes, everything we care to bring with us." The redhead nodded in confirmation.

"Alrighty then, let's get this show on the road, we have a lot of ground to cover before…"

"Where are you headed Jiraiya?" the slug Sanin called out from nearby.

The redhead was instantly on guard, narrowing her eyes in suspicion towards the woman.

"Ah hime how are you? I'm surprised the meeting is over so soon."

"It isn't, but considering I haven't been in the village for years I don't have much to talk about with any of those bastards."

"I see your point, so why are you here then?"

"I came to see my two grandchildren."

The woman took a step towards the two sisters, only to receive glares in response.

"You don't get to call us that, you were never there for us growing up so we have no interest in you being here now." Surprisingly it was the blonde Uzumaki who growled the response towards the woman.

Tsunade winced before nodding sadly.

"I know, I realize you have no reason to trust or even care about me but… I am trying to make amends for not being there, could you give me a chance at least?"

The two nodded slowly, still fixing their gaze on the woman.

"Thank you, I have agreed to take over the mantle of Hokage so that Sensei can finally retire. Hopefully I will be able to keep Konoha away from you. Any idea if you will ever come back to Konoha?

"That depends on what happens in this village _Hokage_ -Sama." The white haired man replied with a grin, earning him a glare from the woman, "It appears our location has been discovered though, so unless either of you want to speak with your team again we should get moving." Jiraiya remarked, before glancing towards the two sisters.

"We have no team." The redhead muttered out, before walking away from the village, with the Sanin and her sister following closely behind.

 _***SooP***_

A few minutes later the newest Hokage ran into the remains of Kurenai's team, along with Anko.

"Greetings Hokage-Sama we were just passing by and were wondering…" Kurenai was quickly interrupted by her remaining student, who did appear to have the time or patience for the pleasant conversation.

"Have you seen Akane-chan or Natsuko-chan?"

The woman looked sadly at the young Hyuga girl before giving out a sigh.

"I'm sorry Hinata, they have already left. It appears that they no longer wish to be a part of this village and I can't say I blame them."

The blonde paused before glancing over the three Kunoichi, "You three knew… didn't you?"

"Yes…" Anko muttered out, directing her gaze at the ground in guilt.

"I see now why they did not wish to say 'goodbye'. Even I knew that the girl's one true wish in life was to know about their family."

The Senju shook her head sadly before returning to the village, leaving the three to stare sadly into the night.

 _***SooP***_

"I should have told them…" Anko muttered out, as she stared at the full bottle of sake.

"You know it was forbidden to do so, it's not your fault Anko…" Kurenai responded, trying to break her friend's depression.

"To hell with 'forbidden', the Hokage should have told them!" The snake summoner roared out, before turning back to the bottle she had originally bought with the intent of getting drunk. "I could have at least told them they were loved… that isn't against the rules is it? It wouldn't have been breaking some big S-rank secret or started a massive war, just to let two orphans know that their parents loved them…"

The red eyed Jonin nodded slightly before staring down at her lap. She knew that her best friend was correct, they should have damned the consequences and just told the girls, or at least given them enough hints for them to figure it out. The Hokage was not cruel enough to punish them for helping the two sisters.

Now though her team was in ruins.

Two members leaving the village, maybe permanently.

The other Genin having become so depressed that she hadn't left her room in days.

Anko barely holding on to her own sanity.

It was a mess of catastrophic consequences. Not only for them but the village as a whole, with three promising Kunoichi's futures in the balance and two more having emotional instability there could very well be a push to begin excluding females from the Ninja training programs on the basis of being ineffective.

Kurenai was _not_ going to let that happen.

 _***SooP***_

Hinata took a deep breath, calming her nerves, before knocking on the doors to the Hokage's office.

"Enter" the voice called from the other side, prompting the young Hyuga to walk in with as much confidence as she could muster.

Before the Kunoichi sat the current Hokage, Tsunade Senju, along with the previous Hiruzen Sarutobi who appeared to be helping her make the transition.

"Ah Hinata Hyuga, please have a seat, what can I do for you today." The blonde asked in a friendly manner.

"Train me."

The two older Ninja's eye brows raised in surprise at the tone the young girl had used.

"What was that?"

"You heard me I want you to train me."

"I already have an apprentice, along with several requests from various other Kunoichi for personal training including two of your classmates, Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno. Why should I choose you over them?"

"Because I am different than they are." Hinata shot back, almost in an angry tone.

"No doubt, but I am missing as to why…"

"Because they want training to impress their 'boyfriend' Sasuke Uchiha, they want to be trained by you because it sounds 'cool' and because they want to be like you."

"I don't see any problem in that, do you Sensei?" The blonde asked, masking a smile as she glanced towards the man, who replied with a knowing smirk.

"You do not want another Tsunade Senju, you want an apprentice who will take what you teach and develop it rather than copying it. You want someone who will continue your legacy and improve upon it. I can do that." Hinata answered, her confidence slightly wavering before images of her two teammates brought it back in force.

"An interesting proposition, but why do you think that Ino or Sakura wouldn't do that."

"Neither one of them take their training seriously. Undoubtedly you have heard the reports of their match during the Chunin exams, it was a disgrace to Kunoichi everywhere. Sakura barely showed above graduation level skill and wields no Jutsus save for those required to become a Genin. Ino was only slightly better due to her usage of the Yamanaka clan Jutsu. Neither one of them train apart from their teams, neither one of them strive to become better. They simply wait for their 'knight in shining armor' to rescue them from harm." The bluenette pointed out, earning a subtle smile from the eldest Shinobi in the room.

He knew that Hinata would be an excellent choice for Tsunade's apprentice as soon as he learned of her interest in medical Jutsu and willingness to train and learn.

"Hmm all good points, I will tell you what Hinata, I am going to leave this decision up to you and your fellow Genin. We will have a group match between you three tomorrow at ten o' clock, training ground one. There you will all be given the opportunity to show me what you have learned."

The girl nodded before running off to prepare.

As soon as the door shut Tsunade practically squealed in happiness.

"Can you imagine it Sensei? A medic-nin with my skill and the Byakugan's ability to see Chakra flows and the internal workings of the body, a Kunoichi with my super strength combined with the lightning precision and speed of the Juken? She could become the poster child for all Kunoichi to aspire to, bringing about a new age for us women. I was a bit worried with the other two, but with Hinata… the only way this could be better for the village is if the two Uzumaki girls had been able to stay and develop as they should have been."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement with his student, a slight frown forming on his face at the loss of the two girls he considered his granddaughters.

 _***SooP***_

The next morning found the two Hokages, along with the Jonin Sensei, their students, and the parents of those participating, or in Hinata's case Hizashi, all situated at the designated training ground.

Anko and Kurenai were busy discussing last minute strategies with Hinata, both having become extremely excited for the girl when they had been told about her opportunity.

Hinata was originally reluctant to explain the situation, not wanting to upset her Sensei or make it seem as though she was abandoning the woman.

Kurenai just waived her worries off though, claiming that this was an opportunity that no one should miss out on, and promising to continue training Hinata should she request it.

Hinata promised that she would be spending what little free time she was left with doing just that. She was very much aware that she had learned but a small portion of what she could from both Anko and Kurenai.

Ino also looked excited, and appeared to be ignoring the last minute planning with her Sensei and team. Instead she was alternating between glaring at her two opponents, and staring at Sasuke with hearts in her eyes.

Ino wanted the chance at being the blonde's apprentice for several reasons. First she knew that Sakura was fascinated with her. When the Yamanaka heir won she knew that it would be a serious blow to the pinkette in their rivalry. Plus it would only further cement her goal of being with the Uchiha prodigy.

Sakura was the most nervous of the three, and for good reason. She had barely tied with Ino during the first stage and although Kakashi had offered to find her a teacher while he focused on Sasuke, she had declined in favor of relaxing for the month.

She knew Hinata had only grown stronger.

But she had to win. She had to prove to Sasuke-kun and Kiba that she was just as important to their team as anyone else. If she could obtain training from the legendary Sanin then she could finally get her crush's attention, maybe even his respect.

Hinata had no doubts of victory there was no other outcome that she would accept. She _had_ to win, to become stronger not only for her team, but for herself and her sister. Once she was trained by the Slug summoner her sister would be even safer under her protection. Hinata might even be able to convince Shizune to teach Hanabi in her free time.

 _***SooP***_

"Begin!" Shizune called out, before leaping backwards out of the arena that the Kunoichi now stood in.

Hinata immediately charged Sakura, her Byakugan flaring.

The pinkette's eyes widened in fear as she began leaping backwards to distance herself from her pursuer, hoping that she could figure a strategy out.

Just as Hinata was within a few steps of her target she jumped to the side, allowing the _'Mind Transfer Jutsu'_ to hit Sakura instead.

Both girls fell to the ground as they battled for mental control, while Hinata simply threw a Kunai at each body.

"The explosive tags are not active, if they were they would both be dead, apparently Ino-San forgot that the Byakugan gives me three hundred and sixty degree vision." The Hyuga called out in a monotone way, before walking to a nearby tree stump and sitting down.

"Uhm Hinata shouldn't you…" Shizune began, before the bluenette glanced over at her.

"This is just a friendly spar correct? Unless the Hokage wants me to coup de grace them?"

"No no this is fine Hinata, though I must say this battle is not nearly as impressive as I thought it would be." The Hokage replied with a sigh.

Asuma and Kakashi both found the ground quite interesting to stare at to hide their embarrassment.

 _***SooP***_

A few minutes passed before the battle of wills came to a draw allowing both Kunoichi to awaken and resume their combat stances.

"I can't lose here Ino, I won't! I am going to win for Sasuke-kun and show everyone that I deserve his heart not you!" Sakura shouted out as she charged her former friend.

Ino growled response before charging as well, "Let's see you prove that forehead!"

The two Genin once more clashed in a Taijutsu match, each one trying to gain the advantage through the use of the academy Jutsu or basic combat styles.

"Kakashi, Asuma what have you been teaching these two?" Tsunade inquired, with a slight edge to her voice.

"Uhhhh teamwork?" Kakashi replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Asuma simply avoided the glare and once again stared at the ground.

"To be fair I did offer to find Sakura a trainer for the break in the exam, but she declined and wanted to take a month off instead." The silver haired man defended, earning a nod from the younger Sarutobi.

"Same here, Ino said she was just going to focus on her clan specific techniques while I worked with Shino and Shikamaru."

"So what did she learn during that month?" the current Hokage directed this question towards the girl's father.

"Don't look at me, I was told she would be training with her Sensei and teammates." The blonde man replied, raising his hands defensively at the question.

Tsunade sighed as she returned her attention to the 'fight'.

"What do you think Shizune?" for the moment the Kunoichi had taken a bit of a break from being referee since the match was obviously non-lethal.

The woman's apprentice took a moment to gaze over the three Kunoichi before answering in a no-nonsense way, "I think we should have had Hinata fight different opponents, this is pathetic."

 _***SooP***_

After a few more minutes of standing at the sidelines the Hyuga charged into the combat, and the match quickly ended.

Neither of the two other Kunoichi were even close to being able to match Hinata in close combat and she tore through them easily.

When questioned why she had waited for so long her reply was simple, "so that they could have a chance to show their own skills."

All in all Tsunade had been impressed… by the bluenette's skills and personality.

She had shown growth at every stage of her career, not only in Ninja skill but also in her personal life. The confidence problems that had been reported during the academy were nonexistent and her drive to become stronger was high than virtually every other Genin that The Hokage had witnessed.

The decision was a simple one from the start.

 _***SooP***_

"I hope you realize what you have gotten yourself into Hinata, the training I am going to put you through will not be easy and I expect results."

"I will not fail you Hokage-Sensei."

'Hmmm Hokage-Sensei, I rather enjoy that title' the blonde mused, before snapping back to the present situation.

"Very well, we will be doing training five days a week from ten in the morning to six at night. Any other time is yours to spend how you wish. We begin tomorrow, dismissed."

 _***SooP***_

"Alright my cute little Genin we will be doing some training today rather than those stuffy D-rank missions, Kiba you and Sasuke begin sparring while I do some solo work with Sakura." Kakashi spoke out with an eye smile, before turning his attention to the Kunoichi.

'Spar? I am an Uchiha, one of the elite. We do not spar with these weaker clans! Kakashi should be training me to become stronger not wasting his time on Sakura. She obviously has no talent' the boy fumed before turning to his opponent.

"Alright Sasuke let's do this!" Kiba shouted in excitement as the two came to blows.

 _***SooP***_

Weeks passed in Konoha as the village settled down into a somewhat awkward peace.

The villagers were happy now that the two 'demons' were gone.

Kakashi and Asuma stepped up their training of Sakura and Ino respectively.

Hinata continued training every day, during the week it would be with Tsunade or Shizune, while the weekends and evenings would be with Anko or Kurenai.

The hole in Team eight had never been properly filled, meaning that the two Jonin were back to taking their level of missions while Hinata would focus on training, hoping one day to see her teammates again.

Meanwhile Sasuke continued to grow frustrated with the lack of individual attention he had grown so accustomed to during the academy and the exams. Kakashi would spend much of his time working with Sakura, or finding her a temporary tutor for when he would work with the other two.

His progression with the Sharingan had come to a screeching halt, while he felt his two teammates getting closer to him in skill with each passing day, perhaps even worse was the fact that Kakashi had absolutely forbid him from trying to utilize the _Curse Mark_. He had so much power at his fingertips, why was he not trusted enough to tap into it? Were they afraid he would become too powerful, that there would be a new, more powerful Itachi? Why was his training being put on hold for those weaker than him?

It was an outrage.

 _***SooP***_

He had failed his master, and thus far had been left to rot in this cesspool of a village.

Word had reached him that Orochimaru's plan had failed, that the invasion had been stopped and that enemy casualties were high.

The Third had survived and now Tsunade had returned to take over the mantle.

For once Kabuto was actually glad to be safely imprisoned in Konoha, safe from his master's wrath.

A soft thud alerted the white haired traitor to the incapacitation of the guard outside, as the door to his cell opened quietly.

"I was told that you worked for Orochimaru, that you might know how to find him." a voice rang out from the darkness.

The man grinned in a sickly sweet fashion.

"Of course Sasuke-kun, I assume that you have finally realized the truth, that they will never give you the training or strength that you desire?"

"They won't train me at all Kakashi is always training the other two failures while Itachi is busy 'on missions'."

"I'm sorry to hear that Sasuke-kun, believe me when I say that Lord Orochimaru can give you the power you seek, that you deserve. He can grant you abilities that no one can rival. He can give you the strength to surpass your brother."

Sasuke smiled as images of himself sitting behind the Hokage's desk flowed through his mind. Itachi would be his inferior, taking orders from him, acknowledging him as the superior Uchiha. The world would know of his power, his strength.

He made his deal with the devil.

***A/N***

This chapter was a bit harder for me to write than most, my original plan fell apart but I rather like this change to the original.

I am having Tsunade train Hinata, because I found that Sakura was boring as hell even with her training. She turned into a younger Tsunade with no originality. At least Naruto was able to improve upon what Jiraiya had trained him to do.

I actually have received a few really cool suggestions on what to do with Sasuke, but for now he will be following the manga and heading toward the snake Sanin.

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!


	18. Pursuit of a Traitor

**Sum of our Parts**

Pursuit of a Traitor

Thank you for reading!

***I still do not own Naruto if I did the female characters would have been way more important. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

Shikamaru stood before the small grouping of his fellow classmates before explaining the mission he had just been given.

"Sasuke Uchiha is suspected of treason against Konoha, I have been assigned the task of assembling a strike force to go and retrieve him. Our intel suggests that he freed the traitor by the name of 'Kabuto' and that he is now on his way back to Oto with several other enemy Ninja."

The mutterings amongst those gathered quickly died down once the Nara raised his hand.

"I am asking for volunteers to go with me on this mission, I need at least a few trackers and…"

"Count me in, he was my teammate and Sakura has already asked me to retrieve him." Kiba declared, earning several barks of agreement from Akamaru as well.

"Me too Shikamaru, I always have your back!" Choji chimed in between bites of food.

"I will as well. Ino has elected to stay behind and comfort Sakura, which I feel is for the best." The Aburame replied.

"I will come as well. Lee is currently recuperating with Gai-Sensei, but I have been informed that he will join us when possible. I believe that is all of the Ninja that we currently have…" Neji began before being interrupted by a female voice from behind them.

"I have been instructed to come along with you Hizashi-Sama has… _requested_ my presence on this mission in order to ensure your safety Neji-Sama." Hinata called out, her face and voice both lacking emotion.

Neji winced slightly, knowing full well that his father had essentially commanded the girl to die for him if need be.

Seeing the interaction, and obvious discomfort, between the two family members brought Shikamaru's confrontation with his own father to the forefront of his mind.

 _***Flashback***_

"Son… I know you are a little angry with me right now but…"

" _A little angry?_ " The genius seethed out, fire burning through his veins at the thought of what his own father had tried to do with one of his classmates, one of his friends.

Was 'friends' a fair way of describing his relationship with the two sisters? He wasn't sure, Natsuko was friendly with everyone he had ever seen interact with the girl but Akane… she was the protector of the two.

In a way they were like Konoha, Natsuko was the friendly compassionate side that would do anything for a friend. The side that would not hold grudges but rather try to expand relationships with as many people as possible, even those who had wronged her in the past.

Akane however was the side that reminded the other nations that Konoha was not to be trifled with. She was the aspect of the Ninja in every sense of the word. She was cold and calculating, always analyzing the situation and those around her for potential threats. She was lethality itself, and if the rumors that had circulated the village were true… well there was a reason that most of the Genin were secretly intimidated by the girl.

Still Shikamaru considered himself to be at least friendly with the two girls, comrade in arms at worst, which was why his father's actions had such an impact on him.

"I did what I had to do son. As the head of a major clan and a Ninja of Konoha I am required to think of the village first and foremost. 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few' as they say." The man continued.

"No what you did was try and condemn two _fellow_ Konoha Ninja to lives as breeding stock. To take away their free will and the rights that they have to their own bodies, what you did was no better than what we have always accused Kumo and Iwa of doing."

"Those villages are monstrous, the atrocities they have committed…"

"Do you really not see the similarities? Trying to force two teenage girls to accept being raped repeatedly until they give birth just to continue a bloodline? How is that any different than what the other villages have done?"

"You are too young to understand Shikamaru, in time you will see what we did was necessary though. I have already made a request that should the CRA ever be implemented with the two Uzumakis that you will be in the group for consider…"

"HOW DARE YOU!" The boy erupted in rage, his calm, collected, and lazy side instantly being shoved aside.

"YOU WOULD TRY AND PUT ME ALONGSIDE OF THOSE MONSTERS WHO WOULD DO THAT TO THEM? YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MANIPULATE THEM OR ME LIKE THAT!"

After taking a handful of deep calming breaths, while ignoring the shocked look from his father, the Nara heir composed himself enough to finish the conversation.

"Even if that act passes, and they are forced back here. Even if I am 'approved' for such a thing I would outright refuse to do so. The fact that you would even think that I would impregnate someone against their will is disgusting. Now if you will excuse me I need to go speak to some of my friends _Shikaku-Sama_." With that the boy excused himself, a slight smirk on his face at the pained expression his father had given him after using such honorifics towards him.

'Perhaps Akane is on to something with this way of addressing people.' The boy mused, while beginning his quest to find his best friend, and fellow clan heir, Choji.

 _***SooP***_

Meanwhile the Akimichi was having a similar conversation with his parents.

"I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE EMBARRASSED THAN DURING THAT MEETING HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO THEM!?"

"Choji sweetheart it isn't what it looks like. Your father was just doing what needed to be…"

"DOING WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE!? DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT OUR CLAN HAS DONE TO THEM!?"

"Son you are overreacting…"

"NO THIS IS UNDERREACTING TO WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD. THEY WERE STARVED! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!? STARVED!" Finally the boy began coughing, having shouted so loudly for so long that his voice was beginning to crack under the strain.

"The fact that my classmates were ignored to the point of starvation… I cannot begin to explain how terrible I feel. All of the food we have thrown away or wasted… then there are the bruises that I saw on Akane… do either of you know anything about that?" The boy immediately glared towards his parents, who winced back under their normally loving son's accusations.

"N-no we knew that they were ignored, and we had an idea on their economic state but the attacks…."

"If I find out that either of you had anything to do with that…" The Genin threatened menacingly.

"It is in the past Choji-kun besides we are trying to make up for it! Your father and I have been trying to include you with the other clan heirs in the CRA discus…"

"I would rather cut my stomach open and slowly bleed out onto the floor than be a part of that horrific thing." The boy snarled back, earning further shocked gazes from his parents.

As he turned to leave the boy gave one last glance back at the two clan heads, "Do you know that they saved me? My first match in the preliminaries was against Gaara. It was only their intervention that stopped me from going down there. Without them I would probably have been killed by him, and yet you still want to force them to be sexually assaulted… I feel as though I don't even know either of you anymore."

With that the young boy left, needing to clear his head and figure out exactly what he was going to do next.

 _***End Flashback***_

The two best friends had met up shortly afterwards and had taken the rest of the day to just relax and calm themselves down.

Shikamaru snapped himself back to the present to try and keep the group from falling apart before the mission even began.

"Well I am certainly glad to have you here with us Hinata. Are the rumors true about your training with The Hokage?" Choji called out in curiosity, focusing the rest of the Ninja on the newly arrived girl as well.

"Yes, Hokage Sensei has taken time from her very busy schedule to help train me in medical Jutsu as well as her personal combat techniques. I have learned quite a bit from her since the start."

"Excellent, it will be nice knowing we have a medic on the team in case the worst happens. Alright then since everyone is set let's move out!" The Nara commanded, before taking off towards the last known path of the Uchiha, with Kiba leading due to his tracking skills.

 _***SooP***_

"Choji are you sure about this?"

The Akimichi boy nodded in certainty towards his friend, he knew what the others said about him behind his back. That he was worthless, that he was weak. He intended to prove them wrong and this fight would be the first step to doing so.

Their team had barely managed to escape from the Oto Ninjas Chakra stealing trap and now they were losing ground on Sasuke, who was in some kind of container, along with the other enemies.

There wasn't time to second guess the plan now.

"Okay I trust you, just make sure that you…"

"I will stay behind with him. Since he will be the first in combat it will allow me to put my medical skills to use first, and then when we finish this fight we can catch up and help recovery after the next one." Hinata volunteered, earning a thankful smile from the genius.

"Alright then, everyone else move out!" Shikamaru shouted, causing the remaining Konoha Shinobi to disappear into the woods.

"Are you sure about this Hinata? I mean surely the other fights will be…"

"Don't worry about that now Choji, I am here to help you finish your fight as quickly as possible then we can move on to help the others. The faster we end this guy the faster we can help in the next confrontation." The Hyuga commented.

"Right! Okay then time to show this guy what we can do!" Choji roared, before charging forward and lock arms with his enemy.

"Bah is that all you got kid? Two Genin against one of the Sound elite, this will be easier than…"

Jirobo's taunt was cut short though as the boy in front of him began to push him backwards, slowly overpowering the man with raw strength.

"I-impossible!"

Seconds later this was proven incorrect when Choji threw the man into a nearby tree, before a wave of water impacted him moments later, causing even further damage to the man.

'Damnit, if the fat one can overpower me then all the girl has to do is take pot shots and eventually they will wear me down or worse. It looks like I have to take this fight more seriously than I was intending to.' The large man angrily noted, before activating the first stage of his _Cursed Seal._

"Those markings, they are similar to the ones that Sasuke had during the exams! His Chakra has changed massively as well, it is darker and tainted." Hinata whispered to her companion in analysis.

"Well then it looks like we are going to have to stop messing around as well eh Hinata?" Choji commented, before taking out a small glass container and popping a green pill into his mouth.

Instantly Choji's power also increased, afterwards the Akimichi took out several dozen kunai connected by wire and wrapped them around his body.

"Be ready to strike Hinata."

"Right"

 _"Spiked Human Juggernaut"_

Moments later a massive spiked sphere rolled towards the opposing man, who raised a wall of earth to try and protect himself from the blow.

It was not enough to stop the rampaging Genin, however, and Choji was able to break through and begin cutting up the man who pushed back, trying to stop the assault.

Finally he was able to do so and threw the boy backwards only to receive a series of lightning enhanced Juken strikes to his back.

Spinning around the man hit nothing but air as the Kunoichi had leapt backwards, fully aware that she would not be able to match her opponent with strength alone.

 _***SooP***_

"To hell with this…" Jirobo growled out, before activating the second phase of his _Cursed Seal_ "I am going to break every bone in both of your worthless bodies!"

The transformed man then charged forward toward the two stunned Genin.

Hinata was able to snap out of her stupor a second later, and pushed the larger boy out of the way, receiving a powerful blow to her side instead.

"Hinata!" Choji shouted out in concern, instantly popping the yellow pill into his mouth and sprinting forward to tackle their opponent and prevent any further injuries to the girl.

He had been saved yet again by a member of Team eight. Once again he was too weak to truly help in a fight. Once again he had forced another to help him out of a situation.

Never again.

After leaping up from where he had slammed the man into the ground Choji leapt up into the air, expanding enough to cover the man and delivering a violent and super powerful elbow drop onto his adversary.

Luckily Hinata had been knocked far enough back that she was not caught in the crossfire.

Moments later Choji found himself tossed through the air and into a grouping of trees nearby.

He gasped in pain before coughing up a bit of blood. The pills were taking a larger toll on his body than he originally thought they would.

As he picked himself up he noticed another wave of water crash into the man, knocking him off his feet and flooding the crater that the Akimichi had formed from his last attack.

"Is that all you can do? Knock me down a few times? You two truly are the weakest of your team if this is the best you can do! A fat useless brat and a weak Kunoichi bitch who can barely manage to fill a hole with water!"

"Actually that was exactly how much water I was trying to make." Hinata called out, a smirk forming on her lips."

"What are you…"

 _Lightning Style: Sky's Pilar_

A second later a massive bolt of lightning fell from the sky, striking the pool of water than the Oto Nin had yet to leave, and utterly decimating the man.

 _***SooP***_

"Are you okay Choji?" The girl inquired, as she limped up to the recovering boy.

"Yeah, what about you though? I'm so sorry Hinata you were hurt because of me and…"

"No I was hurt aiding a fellow Konoha Ninja and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's just a few broken ribs, nothing serious."

"What about him?"

"He isn't getting back up from that. I had to use the other to aim and concentrate the technique otherwise the damage would have been far wider and could have hit us as well. Now tell me about the technique you used, it seems to be causing you internal damage or poisoning of some kind…"

 _***SooP***_

"I can stay behind and assist you, we both seem adequate in dealing with this opponent." Shino commented in a stoic tone to the remaining Hyuga.

"That will not be necessary. Besides there are still at least two combatants and we haven't seen any sign of the traitor Kabuto along with Sasuke's position and the others will need as much help as they can get."

"True, good luck then."

"There is no need for luck, fate has already decided the victory."

The Aburame shook his head slightly before leaping off to join his remaining two comrades.

Meanwhile Kidomaru just eyes the remaining Chunin with a sadistic grin.

 _***SooP***_

Apparently fate was a bitch.

Neji was currently covered in his own blood, mostly from the half dozen projectiles being stuck in his back, and was barely standing at this point.

Sure he had some initial success in dealing with this opponent but after his Kaiten had been 'disabled' his primary means of defense was now gone and he was forced to try and dodge the hail of attacks.

It had been successful up until his opponent found the single blind spot of the Byakugan.

Now he was leaning against a tree, trying desperately to figure out a plan on how to deal with this man, who was 'gifted' the same seal that the Uchiha had, thus enabling him to drastically increase his power.

Thus far the prodigy had only succeeded in closing the distance between them one time, even then though victory had slipped through his grasp due to the Oto Ninja's armor like webbing.

Shikamaru had been correct in assigning their opponents as 'Jonin' class.

Now the Hyuga was running out of tricks, and energy for dodging.

He was starting to regret allowing his fellow teammate to leave, not that he would ever admit it. The Hyuga main house did not ask nor require assistance from others.

But it would have been nice to have a ranged expert in this situation nonetheless.

The sound of another attack brought the Chunin from his thoughts as the area was, once again, blanketed in thick webbing.

This time it seemed as though the intention was to prevent and slow down his movements enough so that he would not be able to dodge the next assault.

Not that he had much energy to do so at this point either way.

From the corner of his vision he glimpsed his opponent readying the next volley, but before he could begin both Shinobi's eyes widened in shock as a faint blue glow enveloped the area, dissolving the web that was on the ground and starting the process on the weapons the Jonin had just created.

"What in the…"

"It is just my luck that I ended up rescuing you…" a feminine voice called out as a Kunoichi slowly strolled towards the barely standing Hyuga.

Neji gasped as the identity of his savior was revealed.

Akane Uzumaki

"Who the hell are you! Wait a second… you're that Genin bitch who thwarted Lord Orochimaru's plans during the attack on Konoha aren't you?"

"And you must be one of the snake's body guards, what is it with you people and animals?"

"Why you…"

"Akane… what are you doing here?" Neji interrupted, while trying to wrap his mind around the situation.

"Simple really…"

 _***Flashback***_

"Remind us again why we haven't left The Fire Country yet Jiraiya-Sensei?" Akane questioned as the three Ninja leapt through the trees.

"That is a very good question Akane."

A few moments passed before it became clear that the Sanin was not going to answer the question.

"Incoming" the redhead whispered out, before taking cover in a nearby tree with her sister.

The sage, on the other hand, just halted on a tree branch and let the ANBU operative catch up to him.

"Yo"

The two sisters sweat dropped at the man's antics, how the hell he managed to become a spy master was beyond either of them.

"Jiraiya-Sama, I have orders from Hokage-Sama, it appears that Oto is mobilizing on the border and the traitor Kabuto has escaped from custody…"

"WHAT!? How the heck did you guys manage to lose him?" The blonde suddenly shouted, earning sweat drops from the two Shinobi at her breaking of stealth.

"Right then, guess I will head over and see what kind of trouble I can stir up. You are assigned there as well I take it?" The white haired man questioned, and earned a nod from the ANBU.

"What about us Ero-Sensei?"

"I told you not to… anyways… I don't think you should get too close to the border. Orochimaru might still be a bit sore after losing his sword to Akane and having you two play a major role in his defeat."

"Actually I was hoping to speak to the two sisters for a moment Jiraiya-Sama." The masked man replied, earning a suspicious glare from the toad summoner.

"Fine but I will be watching from here… remember that."

The man nodded before slowly approaching the two wary girls.

"I need to ask you two for a favor… I know this isn't necessarily the best time and I doubt either of you want anything to do with me or my clan but…" a second later the man removed his mask, identifying himself as Itachi Uchiha.

"You are right we _don't_ want anything to do with your clan." Akane growled out.

"Hear me out, Sasuke has been accused of treason and is heading towards the Oto border with several enemy Ninja. Konoha has sent a retrieval party but it is only consisting of your classmates. All higher ranking Ninja are either on assignment or are being sent to the border directly to deal with the potential invasion."

The man paused, as if trying to find the words that would best help his argument.

"I know this is asking a lot considering all you have done for us and what my brother and clan have done to you but… please bring him back to me. He is one of the only two family members I have left…"

Akane stared at the man with suspicion in her eyes before glancing over at her sister, who was staring at the redhead in a sad manner.

Giving out a long sigh Akane nodded her head. "Fine"

 _***End Flashback***_

"And you came to my aid because…"

"Because you were the only one in immediate danger, besides our allies are coming to help the others as we speak."

"Allies?"

"Suna"

The Hyuga blinked owlishly before shrugging the confusion off, who was he to refuse help from an allied nation?

"I managed to observe a small portion of the fight so far, seeing as you are not in critical condition, and prepare a counter strategy of sorts, hence the webbing."

"I was about to ask about that, I thought you could not perform Ninjutsu."

"I cannot, this isn't Ninjutsu, it is Fuinjutsu."

"WHAT!?" the four armed man roared out from the nearby trees.

How the hell had Fuinjutsu managed to stop his attacks?

"For once I agree with my opponent, how is that possible?" The prodigy questioned.

"Simple really, his webbing is a mixture of proteins in his body with his own Chakra to create a near impervious substance, all I did was create a seal that rapidly breaks down proteins that take on that composition, extremely situational but useful nonetheless."

"So you made an area where his webbing degrades rapidly." The boy summed up, amazed at what the girl could accomplish after observing the battle for such a short time.

"Yes, but the projectiles are still dangerous, the area is only so large and the denser webbing will be able to penetrate it to our position. Since you have been fighting the man up until now, and are 'genius' of your class, I feel inclined to see if you have any strategies for ending this battle."

Neji blinked again, a bit confused at first before he realized that the girl was essentially asking him for a tactic.

At least she was kind enough to keep him included after seeing the state he was reduced to.

"Now that you mention it… it might not be Nara quality but I think it will do the trick" the pale eyed Shinobi responded with a smirk.

 _***SooP***_

After seeing his techniques dissolve away into thin air Kidomaru had decided not to take any more chances and, for once, decided to stop playing with his opponents.

He had shifted into his _Cursed Seal_ form two and notched up one of his arrows, preparing to strike down either the injured Hyuga or the redhead.

Luckily they had received information on their potential opponents during the night from Kabuto and Sasuke.

One such piece of information was the fact that the Uzumaki was unable to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, meaning that she was in the same, if not worse, situation as the Hyuga was. Both were melee oriented combatants.

Meaning that as long as the Jonin could keep his distance both would fall before him.

Unfortunately he had lost his long range detection webs with that brat's seal, which meant he would be forced to rely on his hearing and sight.

Shortly after the girl's arrival she had thrown out a series of smoke bombs, completely covering the area and allowing the two Konoha Ninja to slip away, putting the four armed man on an even higher state of alert.

A slight rustle of leaves from behind him alerted the man immediately, who spun and caught sight of the red haired Kunoichi charging forward, intending on forcing him into close ranged combat.

The Oto Ninja was smarter than that though, leaping backwards he fired his drawn arrow at the girl.

Who immediately smirked and spun around violently, creating a sphere of Chakra around her which repelled the attack away.

"But how!?"

A slight pain from behind alerted the man to a scroll being pinned to his back, then an unfamiliar feeling.

It began as a slight tingle that soon became a pulling sensation as though the hatred and anger which fueled him was being ripped away, drained from his very being.

His vision blurred, his legs wobbled, and the Chakra flow that held him steady faltered.

As he fell he noticed his reversion back to his natural form, before exhaustion overtook him.

 _***SooP***_

The two figures dropped to the ground and carefully approached the unconscious man, before binding him with wire.

The first redhead released the ' _Henge'_ and revealed herself to have been Neji, who immediately braced himself on a tree due to lack of Chakra.

That last Kaiten had drained what was left of his reserves.

"Do you need help?" the real Akane inquired, before ensuring the Seal was securely on their enemy.

"A Hyuga does not ask for help."

The Uzumaki shrugged, before tying another wire around the fallen Ninja and began dragging him towards where she had heard the other battles taking place.

Neji tried to follow but quickly found himself lying face down on the ground.

"Of course if you just so happened to be going in the same direction…"

The girl gave an annoyed sigh before returning to the Chunin and crouching over to help him onto her 'piggy back' style.

The questioning glance he gave her elicited another sigh.

"It's either this or I throw you over my shoulder like a bag of rice."

"This will suffice… if I may be so bold as to ask you a favor though… please do not tell anyone about this."

The Kunoichi nodded before muttering under her breath. "You're lucky that your cousin is cute…"

"Yes I am… wait what?"

 _***SooP***_

"Damnit" The Inuzuka Genin swore again, trying to pick himself up off the ground but failing to do so.

He thought that with the extra training his Sensei had been giving him he would have caught up to the Uchiha heir, or at least pose more of a threat to him.

He had been wrong.

Even with Akamaru and their clan techniques Sasuke was simply too far ahead of them. The Sharingan gave him an advantage that he couldn't yet match and his teammate had a far larger range of Jutsu than Kiba did.

He was hopelessly outclassed, even before the smirking asshole had activated his _Cursed Seal_.

At least he had drawn blood a few times on the boy.

It was rather amusing to hear him shout in rage at the idea of being injured by a "weaker clan".

Unfortunately with his friends either too far away or still in battles there was nothing left to stop the traitor.

Kiba could only pray that Akamaru would be able to recover from his sustained injuries.

Sasuke had been particularly brutal with his fire Jutsu.

Another cough sent another round of blood spatters onto his clothing as the boy's vision began to blur.

He could just make out his former 'best friend' approaching him slowly, as if plotting the best way to finish him off.

At this point the Inuzuka had no doubt that the Shinobi would do it.

Suddenly his opponent jumped backwards, avoiding a series of Kunai which embedded themselves into the ground.

Kiba became aware of two bodies on either side of him, gently picking him up and carrying him from the battlefield.

"W-wait… Akamaru…"

"Don't worry we've got him too." A feminine voice gently replied.

"N-Natsuko? Wh-why are you here?"

"Shhh we are just ' _Bunshin_ ', boss is dealing with the teme. Rest now we will find you some medical help."

Tears began flowing down the boy's face as he saw his companion being gently carried by another blonde replica.

"Natsuko… I'm so sorry for what I did… for what my mother tried to do… I…"

The boy passed out before he could finish.

 _***SooP***_

"Well well well, look who it is. The Uzumaki, Senju, Namikaze, dead last bitch."

"Are you more upset that my sister kicked your ass, or that my last name is longer than yours?"

The boy growled in irritation.

"Of course maybe it's just because you had to use that hickey from the pedophile in order to win a fight against your teammate. I thought the Uchiha were supposed to be the strongest clan? Yet you had to rely on outside help? Itachi-kun must be so proud of you."

"DON'T YOU SAY HIS NAME! I am superior to him and all others! And I will show you just how powerful I am!"

"I do so hope you can do so without your precious bloodline, after all it can't copy me." The girl smirked at the aggravation she was causing the normally controlled and precise boy.

"I DON'T NEED IT TO BEAT YOU INTO THE GROUND BITCH! AND AFTER I AM DONE I WILL SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHERE YOU AND YOUR WHORE OF A SISTER BELONG, ON YOUR BACKS AND BEING USED AS BREEDING SLAVES!"

 **'End him'**

For once Natsuko agreed with the violent suggestion that the Kyuubi had made, just as Sasuke felt a shiver run down his spine for an unknown reason.

***A/N***

Hopefully this chapter went as well as I think it did. I will be addressing the other three fights next chapter but I don't plan on going too much into them. Shikamaru's will end the same, as will Lee's. Obviously the only one that will be changed is Shino versus the twins.

I was planning on putting the Natsuko vs. Sasuke fight here, but I don't want to rush it and I would rather take my time and make it truly something epic.

Read and enjoy!


	19. Uzumaki vs Uchiha

**Sum of our Parts**

Uzumaki vs. Uchiha

Big thanks to all my beautiful readers

***If I owned Naruto then he would have learned a hell of a lot more during his training. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke Uchiha, the proclaimed prodigy of the current generation of Ninjas was currently at a loss of how to proceed.

Never before in his life had he felt such fear towards a rather short blonde haired girl.

Of course never before in his life had he heard of someone creating a _literal army_ by themselves… of themselves.

Yet here he was, gaping wide eyed at the over one hundred _Kage Bunshin_ that completely surrounded him.

There was only one small saving grace for him in this situation. The small miracle being that the clones were not under the protection of that damned seal, meaning that the Sharingan could be used to predict their movements.

The Uchiha smirked and fell back into his interceptor stance.

He would show this bitch exactly who she was picking a fight with. He had defeated a Inuzuka in close combat with ease and he would do the same to a no talent brat like her.

The prodigy made a slight 'come hither' motion with his fingers.

The army charged towards him.

 _***SooP***_

For once Sasuke was starting to wish he had the Byakugan rather than his current Dojutsu. Sure it allowed him to predict his enemies next moves, copy Jutsu, and cast amazing Genjutsu.

But what it did _not_ give him was eyes in the back of his head, which would have been rather useful while trying to fight through a horde of opponents.

Now though he was trying desperately to figure out a strategy to take out the clones without using up all of his Chakra in wide area of effect Jutsu.

Focusing on his Taijutsu the Uchiha was easily skilled enough to fight off any small group, the problems came when he was completely overwhelmed.

He would strike and disperse one or two, only to find them clinging to his arms while another landed a blow across his face.

Shaking off the ones holding him down he could easily put distance between them, only to run into an attack from behind.

Destroying another handful would prove pointless as another would tackle him to the ground, allowing for a series of punches and kicks to rain down upon him.

Slowly he was being worn out.

He was being injured by the no talent useless Kunoichi.

Uchiha did not fall to anyone, did not lose to anyone.

Only an Uchiha can defeat another Uchiha.

Pushing Chakra into his feet the Shinobi shot into the air, and quickly flowed through hand signs before spewing forth a massive wave of fire, decimating the ground below him.

As the smoke subsided, and the boy landed, his eyes widened once more in horror as he beheld a massive earthen dome formed around the army.

Seconds later it crumbled, giving way to another surge of blonde fury, and another wave of pain.

 _***SooP***_

"How disappointing" The original blonde mused, watching as her opponent took gasps of breath, trying to recover from his ordeal of fighting through over a hundred _Kage Bunshin_.

"I thought you would do better than that. How you ever managed to beat Kiba is beyond me."

"Sh-shut up."

"What was that? Is Sasuke-kun going to cry now? Whatever would your personal army of fangirls do if they saw you in such a state? I mean besides fixating on your brother instead. Though I am shocked that you have as much attention as he does, he is faster, stronger, more talented, and just a better person than you."

"I said shut up!"

"I don't even know why we bothered coming out here to bring you back, it's not like the Uchiha _need_ another member. Itachi-kun is probably skilled enough to be completing missions while rebuilding the clan at the same time. Whereas you just got your ass kicked by one of the 'dead lasts' of your class, a girl nonetheless."

"I SAID SHUT UP!" The boy roared out, his cursed mark taking over and imbuing him with its dark power once more.

"Relying on the pale freak again I see, oh well." With that Natsuko leapt backwards, dodging the hail of Shuriken, only to find herself tied against a nearby boulder by Ninja wire.

"Dodge this!" Sasuke shouted, before going through another series of hand signs and sending waves of fire cascading down the wires towards his intended victim.

Instead of frying the girl he found a fist being lodged in his face from the side.

Somehow the girl had escaped and completely outflanked him.

"B-but how?!"

"I left a few Kage Bunshin around just in case I needed an easy escape plan."

Once more the boy growled just as the blonde formed her favorite hand signs and formed another group of clones.

 _***SooP***_

As the prodigy battled through another wave of blonde pests he heard a strangely familiar sound coming from behind him.

Turning he noticed a blonde running towards him, a sphere of swirling Chakra in her hand.

However the boy quickly realized the trick, he had been able to see her with his Sharingan, meaning that she was just a clone and not the original, thus it was a harmless trick.

Turning his gaze elsewhere he knew he would be able to find the girl eventually. She could hide her physical self but not the results of her presence. Thus her shadow, breaks in the air, reflections in the water, or even indents in the ground could give her away, ironically these were all ways that Ninja looked for to reveal a normal _Bunshin_ from the creator.

The _Rasengan_ wielding clone got closer, earning a growl from the boy who dodged it and moved to disperse it with a punch to the face.

His punch connected, but she did not dissipate.

Instead pain flooded his stomach as the Jutsu slammed into him, tearing into his body and throwing him to the ground in pain.

"H-how?" was the response through the coughs of blood.

"Simple, I figured that since you can see my clones I could create a _Rasengan_ in secret then disable the seal for a minute, you thought I was still just a clone huh?"

"Clever, but not clever enough." The boy spat, before feeling the _Cursed Seal_ roar out in vengeance, shifting and molding his body to its creator's dark will.

Natsuko watched on in horror as Sasuke became something more than just human, he slowly morphed into some kind of monstrosity, with wings growing from his back and his skin darkening.

"You are one ugly mother…"

Sasuke roared back in anger.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko dodged another barrage of fireballs, before creating a defensive wall of water to absorb the considerably larger one that was fired at her.

The situation was starting to get a bit desperate now, Sasuke had figured out that by rapidly activating or deactivating his Dojutsu then he could keep the girl in his sights while giving him the increased speed and predictive powers that the eyes gave him.

Now it was the Kunoichi's turn to be forced onto the defensive.

With the _Cursed Seal_ Sasuke was even faster than before, outpacing even her sister in strength and speed.

His supply of Chakra has skyrocketed along with its power, causing quite a few burns to the girl's body from some close calls.

Luckily she wielded enough water Jutsu to counter the abundance of fire, but it was still rough.

The only other lucky part had been the boy's unwillingness to fight her in close combat. He had learned that at such proximities it was drastically harder to dodge her retaliations in time, hence the bruises from a few water or wind blasts and the slight bleeding from when an earth spike and pierced his arm.

Regardless the traitor was slowly making up for his earlier performance, and the Kunoichi was starting to get worn out, even with her massive Chakra reserves.

The Uzumaki had been hoping to avoid using her trump card, instead wanting to focus on her other three elements for combat.

But to be fair her opponent was technically cheating with his own use of 'outside interference' anyway.

'A bit of extra power couldn't hurt' The girl smirked, flowing through a series of hand signs before launching her next attack.

 _Wood Release: Root Spikes_

Wooden spikes tore up through the ground, forcing a wide eyed Uchiha to dodge at the last second to avoid being skewered.

Before he could retaliate another tree root had shot out of the ground, grabbing him by the leg and slamming him into back into the rocks below.

"Damn bitch!" Sasuke growled out, before burning the offending branch, only to look up and see a massive pillar of wood smashing him into the opposing wall of the valley.

The Uchiha shot out from the impact point, using his wings to try and gain some distance from the Kunoichi's attacks.

Unfortunately he did not have enough time to get used to his newfound wings and thus was unable to dodge the wooden projectiles that shot through his new appendages.

The Shinobi screamed out in pain, not yet prepared for the new sensation and crashed down, barely having enough time to dampen the impact with his Chakra.

Natsuko gazed on from a good distance as her opponent slowly rose to his feet, watching as the Shinobi growled in rage as he righted himself and began going through the hand signs for his new favorite technique.

"ENOUGH OF THESE GAMES!" The boy shouted, forming a massive _Chidori_ and charging forward towards his intended target.

Luckily Natsuko was prepared, and formed a Jutsu of her own.

 _'Wind Style: Cycle Tunnel'_

The Kunoichi began moving her hand steadily in a circle before her, as if cleaning a window. The result was a massive horizontal twister striking the boy and blowing him backwards before he managed to cement himself to the ground with Chakra, the _Chidori_ still active in his hand as he began making his way towards the blonde through the wind itself.

 _***SooP***_

'I cannot lose to her! I will not back down, not with this power! This power makes me invincible. I need no longer fear her or anyone else! I will surpass Itachi, no, I already have surpassed him! Now I will tear through this pathetic attack and her as well! ALL SHALL WITNESS MY POWER!' The boy insanely thought as the Cursed Mark continued to tamper with his mind and fill him with hatred and rage.

Unfortunately in his rush to 'master' the technique taught to him by his Sensei Sasuke had never learned one of the flaws of the ability.

The _Chidori_ continuously pumped lightning Chakra into the palm of one's hand.

Therefore when faced with a powerful wind Jutsu the technique begins to weaken as the energy is dissipated and ripped away by the naturally stronger element.

Thus the crazed Shinobi was now draining his Chakra by not only keeping the _Cursed Seal_ active but also forcing himself through the wind step by step, and keeping his own 'ultimate technique' activate against overwhelming odds.

But with the transformation in full force Sasuke's reserves were being intermingled with that of the Fuinjutsu.

He never felt the drain until it was too late.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko shook her head as she watched the boy slowly pushing forward through her wind Jutsu, using more and more of his precious reserves as he inched ever closer, never realizing that the closer he reached the stronger the winds became.

Finally he was mere feet away from his intended victim, though by this point his transformation and Chidori had long since been canceled to due lack of energy and the traitor was now pushing forward and rage alone. It was at this point that the blonde canceled her Jutsu, allowing the Uchiha to stumble forward into an oncoming haymaker, knocking the boy onto his back and unconscious.

The girl gazed down at her defeated victim, before drawing a kunai, preparing to take the life of the monster that had not only betrayed the village but threatened her sister and friends, when the request of the boy's older brother whispered through her mind once more.

'Please bring him back to me. He is one of the only two family members I have left…'

Letting out a sigh the Kunoichi wrapped the boy with vines using another Mokuton Jutsu before proceeding to drag him slowly out of the valley, making sure that he hit every rock along the way.

 _***SooP***_

Hinata and Choji entered the clearing where they had located Shikamaru, and apparently his Suna backup.

Immediately the Akimichi boy brightened at seeing his friend unharmed, save for a broken finger, and ran to greet him.

"It appears we have some additional allies now." Hinata noted, as she eyed Temari in a defensive manner.

"It would appear that way. Your Hokage requested our help in dealing with your 'traitor' problem and Gaara has been interested in meeting up with the two sisters who helped him during our little 'misunderstanding' a few months ago."

Hinata nodded slightly, staring towards the ground as memories of her teammates shot through her mind.

"We have company…" the genius noted, as Gaara and Lee approached through another side of the clearing, while Kankuro and Shino came from another.

The worst physically was Shino at this point, limping along slightly with some minor cuts and stab wounds.

"Shino are you alright?" The Hyuga Kunoichi called out, approaching him to check on his status.

"I am functional, I was forced into a two on one fight but my opponent's abilities did not account for my insects repelling his attempts to use me as a host. His end was rather painful once the Suna Ninja arrived."

"Well I am glad to see that everyone is okay so far. Has anyone seen Kiba or Neji-Sama?"

As if on cue a voice called out from the nearby trees.

"I am quite alright Hinata, and we bring a captive."

The voice was easily identified as the other Hyuga, but what stood out strange to those still nearby was the word 'we'.

As boy limped into the clearing, forsaking the 'piggy back ride' to avoid any further humiliation he found his comrades eyes all glued on the one who had come to his aid.

"Akane-chan…"

The redhead gazed back at her former teammate, as the other Ninja stood silent, not wanting to interfere with the reunion.

"I see everyone is alive and well so far." The Uzumaki noted, intentionally ignoring the girl's greeting.

Hinata's shoulders sagged and the girl was forced to blink back the tears she was holding in.

"It appears so, though I am surprised that you also came to aid us. Does that mean…" Shikamaru began, only to be interrupted with a call from behind.

"Could use some help over here, Kiba isn't doing so well."

Hinata froze as the blonde's voice flowed musically over the area, before snapping back to her medical training as three Kunoichi's emerged, two carrying the Inuzuka and one with Akamaru.

Rushing forward Hinata began her analysis with practiced ease.

"Severe burns over thirty percent of his body, Chakra exhaustion, at least three broken ribs, two fractured bones in the right arm, another broken bone in the left leg. No immediate life threatening injuries."

Instantly a calming green light emanated from her hands as the girl worked on reviving the boy, noting that his companion was in a considerably better state than him.

"Natsuko?"

"Fighting with the Uchiha teme, Valley of the End at the border."

The redhead nodded before dumping her captive on the ground and heading towards the general direction with impressive speed.

She almost made it into the forest before the original blonde burst through the trees, accidently catapulting Sasuke into the clearing with her gathered momentum.

"Oops…"

The boy landed on the ground, hard, before rolling several times and coming to a rest with even more cuts and scrapes along his body than before.

"My bad…"

"Glad to see you are okay Natsuko."

"Of course onee-chan! Everyone else okay?"

"Yes, which means we can head out."

The two sisters turned to leave before their journey was interrupted.

"Hey you are those two from the Chunin exam right? The ones that fixed Gaara?"

The Kunoichi turned to spy the three Suna Ninja approaching, with Temari being the one to try and ease into the conversation.

"What of it?" Akane replied, her hand palming a kunai should they become hostile.

"I wish to thank you. You have silenced mother's voice and allowed me to sleep for the first time in years. No longer are my siblings afraid of me." Gaara called out, his face still as expressionless as ever.

The redhead nodded slight in acknowledgement before turning to once again depart.

"You aren't leaving again are you?"

This time it was the Akimichi who was interrupting their plans.

"Yes we are. Neither of us have any desire to return to that village and what most likely lies in store for us there."

"It won't be like that, the council has delayed its decision after additional points were revealed. You won't be forced into the CRA." Shikamaru responded, hoping to salvage whatever was left of his relationship with the two girls.

"What is the CRA?" Temari inquired curiously.

The Konoha Ninja winced, knowing how this might be taken by their new allies.

"It is the 'Clan Restoration Act' and is designed to resurrect a dying clan should its numbers be too low. Since my sister and I are both members it would force us to be impregnated until enough children are born to keep the three clans we are part of stable." Akane answered.

"THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?"

Surprisingly it was Kankuro who shouted out, his protective side immediately coming full circle as his mind passed over what would have happened should Temari have been in that situation.

"Th-they can't do that right? Gaara we can't let them do that to…"

"We won't, as Kazekage I am decreeing that the two Uzumaki sisters are hereby granted permanent refuge and immediate citizenship in Suna should they ever require it. If Konoha ever attempts to force them back to their own village it will be seen as an attempt at kidnapping and a hostile action… and we _will_ take whatever actions necessary to protect our citizens." The newly revealed Kage called out for all to hear.

He received nods of appreciation from the two girls in question.

The sounds of an explosion from the border echoed throughout the area, earning concerned glances from a few of the Ninja.

"Uhhh well we better be heading back… any chance that we could… you know… all head back as a group? For protection and stuff…" Choji nervously asked, hoping that there would be safety in numbers, especially seeing as how Natsuko had apparently defeated Sasuke without any serious injuries.

"Suna will accompany you back we have business in Konoha anyways. If you two wish to make the journey as well you will be considered part of our diplomatic delegation and thus immune from any laws that Konoha might try to force on you." Gaara declared, while gazing towards the two sisters.

"That will be fine, thank you Kazekage-Sama." Akane replied.

"Hey guys what did I miss? Oh hey Akane is here too, cool times. Uh did we win?" Kiba slurred out, finally having regained consciousness.

 _***SooP***_

"Hyuga do not carry _or_ drag prisoners, it is unbecoming of a clan with our status."

"Technically Neji, Sasuke is part of a clan with higher status than you…"

"Yes, and now he is tied up and is about to be dragged along the ground for the next few miles, so I would say that his status has been temporarily revoked, which means that politically I have the highest rank."

"Actually" Shikamaru pointed out lazily, "I believe the Kazekage would have the highest, followed by Akane and Natsuko who are part of three major clans, which trumps just about everyone I have ever heard of."

"It is fine, I will just carry…"

"Nonsense Hinata, you are part of the Hyuga clan also, which means you do not stoop to such a low level such as 'carrying traitors'."

"Well then Neji-Sama who _do_ you think is going to carry the two of them?"

"That should be obvious. Lee will carry the traitor since he is the only one not of high rank or prestige, and the enemy Ninja can be carried by the mutt since he was the only one who actually _lost_ his battle."

"Oh you can go all the way to hell you prick! I got set on freaking fire! Do you know how much that hurts?"

"No because I have never had an opponent damage me so severely, perhaps you should train a bit harder when you return?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT LET'S GO RIGHT NOW ASSHOLE! YOU AND ME!"

As the two boys began arguing, both trying to prove their 'dominance' Temari took a step towards the others, who watched on in exasperation.

"Are they always like this?"

Shikamaru muttered something about 'troublesome teammates' while Kankuro puffed out his chest in pride.

"Go figure, the crappy Konoha Ninja can't even figure out who is the best. Obviously we Suna are better than such meaningless…"

"YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY CLOWN FACE!?"

"OH IT'S ON DOG BREATH I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU SAY THAT A BIT CLOSER!"

Soon the confrontation escalated even further, to the three boys shouting various threats and obscenities towards each other.

"We should get going, if not then the group will be traveling at night which presents even further problems." Gaara noted.

With that Akane walked over and grabbed her former hostage, along with the vine that was currently entangled around the Uchiha.

"I'll just drag them both back, this is getting tiresome."

"Ha look at you losers! Your women have to do your work for you."

Suddenly an eerie silence filled the area at Kankuro's statement.

"What did you say brother?" Temari asked, in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"Uhhhh nothing, nothing at all! I just meant that Kunoichi are super awesome! YEAH THAT'S IT! I sure am glad to be in the presence of such amazing Ninja!"

"That's what I thought you said."

 _***SooP***_

The journey back was taking considerably longer than before, considering that they now had two unconscious hostages to take along with them.

The two Hyuga lead the group, followed by, Choji, and Shikamaru, then came the Uzumaki sisters with the two captured Shinobi. Finally the Lee, Shino, and Kiba brought up the rear.

"Is something wrong Hinata?"

"I-I don't know what to do Neji-Sama, I want to talk to them but…"

"Then you should do so, we have no way of telling whether they will stay in the village or not after this mission is complete."

"But what do I say?" Hinata continued the whispered conversation.

"Perhaps you should practice your speech with me first?"

"Al-alright" the girl relented, before taking a moment to consider her words. "Akane-chan, Natsuko-chan, I am so sorry that I kept your parentage from you. I was told to… no that isn't fair. Akane and Natsuko please forgive me I never meant to hurt you I only wanted to… no, begging isn't fair either. Please just give me a chance to explain what I did I…"

Neji waited patiently, letting the pale eyed girl go through several potential conversations while trying to best convey her regrets.

 _***SooP***_

"Akane-San Natsuko-San may I have a word with you please?" Shino called out, as he sped up enough to catch up with the two girls.

"Sure Shino-kun whatsup?"

"I wish to apologize for my father and clan's actions towards the two of you. I was not aware of the torments that were inflicted by them and for my father to…"

"It is quite alright Shino-San, we are aware that you had no part in your clan's actions. I appreciate the gesture though." The redhead interrupted, putting the boy at ease.

"Same goes for us…" Choji chimed in, as he and his best friend had stepped to the side to allow the two sisters to catch up to them.

"We do not blame any of the Genin for what their parents or clans might have done, none of you ever directly tried to hurt us so there is no reason for apologies."

"Seems like you have a secret admirer." The Inuzuka whispered, gesturing towards the rest of the party, and specifically at Gaara who was eyeing the two sisters curiously.

"Long as he keeps his distance from my sister and I then I could care less." Akane noted, before continuing the journey.

 _***SooP***_

Just as nightfall began the group of Ninja reached the gate of Konoha with their packages in tow.

Shortly beforehand the Oto Ninja had woken up and was struggling to free himself, before Lee gave him a hard punch to the face and forced him back into a cooperative state.

Once the team had arrived a pair of ANBU appeared to retrieve the two captives, followed shortly by Ibiki and Anko, who was trying to discreetly make contact with her two 'sisters'.

"Well I had better go report to the Hokage, in the meantime those of you who need to do so report to the hospital." Shikamaru commanded.

"Actually you can just give me your report now I would rather get the formalities over with before meeting with the Kazekage and my two grandchildren." Tsunade called out as she walked into the clearing.

"Of course Hokage-Sama" the genius went on to explain everything that he knew, and let the other members of his team fill in their personal contributions.

Those from Suna gave much shorter reports, not really caring to do so but relented as Gaara ordered them to.

The two Uzumaki remained silent.

"Well that is quite the mission and an impressive first accomplishment for several of you as Chunin. Now then the next order of business is regarding the two Uzumaki-Namikaze-Senju…"

"With all due respect Hokage-Sama, Akane and Natsuko are currently part of my group. If you are attempting to enact any kind of clan act on them then we will be leaving immediately, and since I have already offered them citizenship in Suna…" Gaara began.

"While I appreciate the gesture this has nothing to do with the CRA. Their presence has been requested by Hiruzen Sarutobi in his personal estate." Tsunade warmly interrupted, happy that the girls had found yet another safe haven should they need it.

The two sisters nodded before walking toward the clan district.

 _***SooP***_

"Akane-chan Natsuko-chan could you wait for a second please?" Hinata shyly called out, forcing the two Kunoichi to look back at their former team.

Kurenai had arrived shortly after the debriefing and was now standing by her best friend, avoiding eye contact with her students.

"What is it?" Akane remarked, a bit on guard due to being back in the village that hated them.

"I-I wanted to a-apologize f-for…"

"That's alright Hinata-chan we already heard you."

"Wh-what!?"

"Enhanced hearing remember?"

The poor girl's jaw dropped. Apparently they had already overheard the numerous 'conversations' that she had been trying out with her cousin on the return trip.

"Although we are certainly not happy with any of your actions considering that we continued helping you with your goals while you _deliberately_ kept secrets from us we will forgive you." The redhead continued, before walking towards the snake mistress, a look of purpose in her eyes.

Anko fidgeted under the girl's gaze, not sure what was going to happen to her considering she had been the closest to the two sisters for the longest.

With a flash the Uzumaki slapped a tag onto the woman's neck, creating a flash of electrical energy and forcing the woman onto the ground in pain.

A second later it was over though and the tag was removed.

"Interesting, it seems to have worked even better than I expected…"

"Wh-wha?"

"Anko… the seal… its gone!" Kurenai mumbled out in shock.

Sure enough the _Cursed Seal_ that had been implanted onto her neck was no longer present.

"I can't remove the more advanced versions quite yet, such as the Uchiha's but yours was a prototype and thus it was of poorer construction." The girl mentioned, before turning back to join her sister.

She did not expect the purple haired woman to pick her up in a fierce hug from behind.

"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!"

"You are quite welco…"

"I am so sorry for what I did to you two! I should have told you! I am soooooooooo sorrrrrrrrry!" the woman practically sobbed into the girl's back.

It had always been one of Anko's biggest goals to have the cursed mark removed from her, and even after the truth about her deception had been revealed the two girls had not stopped trying to help her.

 _***SooP***_

"Akane-San Natsuko-San." The Third Hokage greeted as the two entered his living room.

Also present were the two Jonin instructors of the girls, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hinata, Kakashi, Asuma, Gai, Yugao, and Hayate.

"I am glad to see you two are doing okay, I heard about the mission and the fact that you were able to bring back not only Sasuke Uchiha, but another prisoner along with suffering no serious injuries to our own forces is amazing. The Council will be banging their heads against the walls for days after they learn of your success, and their own refusal to promote you."

"Thanks Jiji!"

Akane nodded in recognition.

"I have called you here to do something that I should have done a long time ago. I wish to give you two the last items that your parents left you. I want to give you your heritage."

 _***Omake***_

"Kakashi-Sensei, how was Akane able to beat the Sharingan, we were always taught it was perfect." Kiba asked, directing the other Genin's, along with several Jonin's, gaze to the lazy man.

"Would you believe me if I said 'Ninja Magic' and let me go with that?" the man asked with his patented eye smile.

The deadpanned looks gave him all the answer he needed.

"Fine fine, man how troublesome…" Shikamaru's eye twitched at the comment, "Well they used the Ninja Art known as Fuinjutsu."

"Sealing? I thought it was just used to make explosive tags and storage scrolls?" Sakura chimed in, earning a face palm from Kurenai, seriously who considered this girl the top of her class?

"Oh no, by some accounts Fuinjutsu might be the _most_ powerful Ninja art in existence."

This gained a few more listeners to the cyclopean Jonin.

"No way, Ninjutsu is the most powerful… right?" the pinkette mumbled out the last part.

"How much do you know about the 'Third Shinobi War' Sakura?"

The Kunoichi immediately began citing facts. Who had been involved, what the stakes were, who the commanders were, the economic repercussions that the area would face afterwards.

"Yes yes all very true but the important thing was that The Fourth Hokage would become famous during this war, often given credit for single handedly winning it. This is a bit exaggerated. Of course he was a major part of the conflict but there were many other powerful Ninja who took part in the battles as well. One of them was a female ANBU who was given the title 'Of the Bloody Smile' due to the fact that after a battle she would often be soaked in blood. There was a joke among the ANBU for years afterwards that Kushina was given that title because of her skill with the katana, but when she used Fuinjutsu she had no title, because there were never any survivors." The silver haired man gave a chuckle before returning his eyes to his orange book, ignoring the horrified looks of many of the Genin.

"ANBU sure do have a weird sense of humor, huh Gai?" Asuma muttered out, only to see the Taijutsu master in tears.

"HOW INCREDIBLY YOUTHFUL!"

"Maybe it's just Konoha in general…"

***A/N***

So I meant to put the Omake in earlier but it just didn't seem to fit… and I forgot about it until now… whoops!

Hopefully everyone enjoyed the fight scene, I tried to make it as epic, and believable, as possible without making Natsuko just stomp the poor bastard into the ground.

I am planning on the next chapter finishing up the last part before the time skip, along with answering a few questions that several readers have been asking me to include.

As always read and enjoy!


	20. Verdicts

**Sum of our Parts**

Verdicts

Thank you for reading!

***If I earned $$$ off of Naruto I would probably be rich as hell right now. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu:_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast/demonic voice

 _***SooP***_

It had been weeks since Hiruzen Sarutobi was able to smile like he was currently doing, weeks since he had seen the happy face of Natsuko Uzumaki and at least a neutral face on her sister.

He would have sold his soul to the Shinigami itself to see the redhead smile as she once did.

The old man produced two scrolls, one yellow the other crimson, and handed them to the two Kunoichi. A slight nod told them that it was okay to open them.

Akane has allowed her sister to go first, tearing into the golden object with unimagined excitement.

From it came several tri pronged Kunai, another scroll marked 'techniques' and a small letter.

Slowly the object was unveiled, allowing the two sisters to read in silence.

 _***Letter***_

Natsuko and Akane, I had prayed that this day would never come but somewhere in my heart I knew that this day would change everything. My name is Minato Namikaze and I am your proud father. At this time I am hastily writing this down as I make preparations to seal the Kyubi into the two of you from your mother.

I wish there was any other way to save Konoha but there simply isn't time and people are dying.

I am so sorry for placing this burden on the two of you and I can only pray you will someday forgive me.

The road ahead of you will undoubtedly be a difficult one and I can only hope that those who have sworn to do so will protect you. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Hiruzen, and Mikoto have all given their word that they would do everything they could to ensure your safety and happiness and Kushina, your mother, and I trust them with our lives.

Your mother is too weak right now to write her own letter but she wants me to tell you to grow up big and strong, to laugh often and love much and become the beautiful people we both know that you are destined to be.

Inside my scroll are the components for all of my most awesome techniques, my work on the Rasengan and my notes on the Hiraishin. In your mother's are a few personal artifacts and some Uzumaki books on sealing.

A part of my hopes you will never need any of this, that you will walk down a different path and not follow the blood soaked one of your parents.

I know better but I only pray for your safety and happiness.

Love forever, your mother and father.

 _***End Letter***_

Natsuko sniffled back the tears that threatened to pour down her face while her sister pulled her into a tight hug, a rarity that brought discomfort to the others in the room for feeling as if they were interrupting something personal.

After a few moments the embrace was broken and the other scroll opened to unveil a handful of various objects.

First was a long trench coat like object with flames on the bottom.

Natsuko gleefully accepted the object as her sister put it around her shoulders, watching in fascination as it changed size to fit her.

Next was a sheathed Katana with a spiral symbol carved into the handle.

"That would be your mother's famed sword, _The Crimson Death_ " The former Hokage noted, watching as Akane unsheathed the weapon, revealing a black blade with red zig zag lines going down the length of it.

Hayate whistled in appreciation. "That is a nice looking sword Akane, _course_ now that you have that and the Kusanagi it will be a bit challenging to pick your weapon eh?"

The girl turned and raised an eyebrow in question of the man's statement.

"Ah yes, since you were the one who disarmed my former student his blade passes on to you Akane." Hiruzen answered.

"You were the one who drove him off, it should go to you or Anko." The redhead replied.

Inwardly Anko cried in happiness at the lack of title she once more bore, showing the utmost trust in her.

"Pass gaki I have had enough of that bastard to last me a lifetime."

"I also have no interest in the weapon. I am retired now and my days of fighting are officially over on the orders of my personal medic." The Third nodded as well.

"I am not your damn personal medic you old pervert!" Tsunade growled out in annoyance.

"Still though, with the Kusanagi Akane might not even need to use another blade." Yugao interrupted.

"Oh I wouldn't say that, her mother's sword is quite amazing. In fact it is said to be unbreakable as well." Sarutobi mentioned with a smile.

"So it is made out of Adamantine like The Seven Legendary blades as well?" Asuma muttered in awe.

"Actually it is not, it was created through a process that was only practiced in one location, a process known as 'Seal Forging'."

Jiraiya's gasp alerted everyone to the man's shock.

"Th-that's not possible though, I-I thought it was just a myth!" The Sanin stuttered in shock.

"Oh no it is very real though only a handful of items were ever created and even fewer remain." The Hokage noted with pride.

"I don't get it, what's the big deal about this?" Hayate questioned, confused as to what the fuss was about.

"Seal Forging is a process in which the _Uzumaki_ clan was said to have forged actual weapons using only Fuinjutsu. It is considered the highest level of sealing proficiency since it creates a physical object from nothingness and sustains it even past the creator's life, but the process was only used in Uzushiogakure and thus was lost when the nation fell." Hiruzen explained, before turning his gaze towards the shocked redhead. "There will never be another sword forged like this one."

"You should be the one to take it onee-chan, I already feel bad enough having Dad's techniques and the Summoning contract."

Akane nodded towards her blonde sister before respectfully tying the blade to her waste, and accepting the Kusanagi, which was brought in by one of the ANBU.

"I am sorry that you never received any of these items before, or that there was not more we could keep. All of your parent's money and their homes were taken by the council in the chaos following the attack… I am sorry that I faile…"

The elder's apology was interrupted as a blonde girl threw herself onto him in a fierce hug, tears rolling down her face.

"We can't stay mad at you jiji, you know that."

Akane took a seat on the other side of the man and joined the hug, nodding as well.

"She's right jiji, we never could." The other sister whispered out.

For the first time in years Hiruzen Sarutobi cried as he embraced the two girls.

 _***SooP***_

Three days after the return of the Konoha Ninja and the peaceful atmosphere of Konoha was once again disturbed.

Itachi Uchiha ran towards the gates of his village at near blinding speeds, barely having the time to flash his identification to the two Chunin guards before racing past them.

After his arrival at the front line against Oto with Jiraiya the situation had quickly escalated into a border skirmish.

Unfortunately for their opponents word had not yet spread of the Uchiha prodigy and the Sanin's arrival, thus what started out as a few minor injuries on both sides quickly escalated to a complete route for their opponents.

Apparently the traitor that had been freed by his brother, a man by the name of Kabuto, had immediately ran to his master and reported Sasuke's intent on abandoning the village, thus eliciting a military expedition to recover his 'prize' along with the small detachment that had been sent earlier.

Luckily for Konoha their spies had caught wind of this and sent the information back, in time to reinforce their own border, allowing them to repel the attempted invasion.

Itachi had even earned a more personal victory, by being the one who scorched the silver haired traitor's face with a fire Jutsu, thus creating heavy scarring and forcing him to retreat.

Now Itachi was racing towards the hospital where Sasuke was reportedly being kept under close surveillance.

Horrific thoughts raced through the ANBU's mind as he imagined what condition his brother would be in. Had he fought back against the Konoha Ninja? Had he injured his own classmates and friends in his pursuit for power? Had they been forced to harm him in order to bring him back?

As he finally shot into the front lobby the Uchiha quickly made his way to the front desk and practically demanded the room number for the boy.

The receptionist barely had time to stutter out a room number before he was off again, ignoring the warning that no one was allowed into the room save for those authorized.

He would give himself authorization if need be.

Just as the genius reached the sealed door two hidden ANBU appeared, immediately restraining him and halting any further attempt to proceed.

"Release me this instant!" The normally stoic boy demanded, causing enough of a ruckus for the Hokage herself to step out of the room and glare at him in annoyance.

"I will only ask you one time to calm down weasel, after that I will _force_ you to calm yourself."

The anxious Ninja relented and stopped his struggling before bowing respectfully.

"My apologies Hokage-Sama, I was concerned for the wellbeing of…"

"Of the patient inside yes I am aware, don't worry he is stable with just a few minor injuries at this point. He is currently sedated and tied down to ensure that he does not flee or injure himself or others."

"May I… see him?"

The woman took on a thoughtful stance for a moment before nodding.

"Of course, but for obvious reasons you cannot be alone with him, not yet at least. It's not that we don't trust you but given the situation…"

"I understand completely Hokage-Sama, thank you for allowing me admittance."

The boy proceeded to follow the blonde woman into the slightly darkened room where his brother was strapped down to a hospital bed.

His brother seemed to be in a state between rest and turmoil as he would occasionally twitch and attempt to flail about, as if the nightmares themselves were trying to break free of their containment.

"How is his mental state?" Itachi whispered out.

"He seems to be suffering from some kind of withdrawal, Akane has placed a suppression seal on the _Cursed Seal_ given to him by Orochimaru and I believe that the lack of influence and corrupt Chakra is much like trying to force a drug user to stop using. We haven't had much experience with this type of situation since the only other case of flat out removal was with Anko and she never directly tapped into the power to begin with since hers was merely a prototype for the one your brother has."

The Uchiha nodded slowly, adding one more item to his mental list of things to thank the Uzumaki sisters for.

"What will happen to him after?"

Tsunade gave out a deep sigh before answering, "That partially depends on his mental situation, whether or not he is functional, and if Akane and Jiraiya can figure out how to remove that damned mark. If we can and he shows regret towards his actions he will still be placed on trial for treason though."

"You can't be serious! He was obviously under Orochimaru's influence when he…"

"I know that," The Hokage interrupted with a wave of her hand. "But the fact of the matter is that he not only abandoned the village and freed a traitor but also attacked two different Konoha Ninja who were attempting to retrieve him. If the situation was reversed and it was Kiba Inuzuka who was sitting here while your brother sat in a hospital bed trying to recover would you feel the same?"

Itachi made no move to reply, knowing that he couldn't say for certain one way or the other. Leaving the village was one matter, but attacking two fellow Ninja was a different one entirely and far more serious.

"What do you think the decision will be Hokage-Sama?"

"I can't imagine the council voting to execute him. Despite his actions the Uchiha are treated differently than anyone else in Konoha. If it had been Akane or Natsuko in this situation they would have already been sentenced to execution."

Itachi winced at this declaration, knowing that what he observed during the Chunin exams had indeed been true.

"That said even if he is given minor probation I will not allow him back onto the Shinobi force until such time as he is fit to be trusted. Even then he will most likely be removed from his team for some time and placed on one specifically designed to monitor reformed Ninja. Along with that his rank will be removed and he will be put back as a Genin."

"I would expect nothing less, if that is the case I would like to request assignment of missions closer to Konoha so that I may try and keep an eye on him as well. Since I know the Uchiha techniques far better than anyone else I will be able to tell whether he is continuing normal development or is falling back into the madness he has shown prior to his fall."

The blonde seemed to ponder this before nodding in consent.

"If need be we can always temporarily 'suspend' you from the ANBU, maybe even give you a Genin team with your brother on it, though I am hesitant to show any more favoritism towards you or your brother."

"I agree the bias shown towards my family has become quite disturbing since the fall of our clan. I would like to stay a bit longer with Sasuke though before running a few errands in the village, if that is alright."

"Of course Itachi, I will have one of the ANBU stay with you in the meantime." The woman consented before turning to leave.

"Hokage-Sama, could you by chance inform me of the room number where Kiba Inuzuka is currently recovering? I would like to apologize to him personally."

"Of course Itachi and just so you are aware the Uzumaki sisters will be in the village for the next week or so while they work on Sasuke's seal… if you are interested in speaking with them as well."

The Sharingan wielder nodded gratefully, before returning his gaze towards the resting figure.

 _***SooP***_

"Sasuke Uchiha, you stand before this council to be judged for your alleged crimes. The allegations against you are as such: treason, assault on two fellow Konoha Ninja, assault on two clan heirs, espionage, aiding in the escape of an enemy agent, placing a Konoha team in danger, and the attempted removal of a Konoha Kekkei Genkai to a foreign nation. How do you plead?" Tsunade Senju called out at the proceedings, as she narrowed her gaze towards the boy standing before her.

"Guilty."

The room erupted into shocked gasps as the various council members, and the witnesses to be called upon later, stared in awe at the Uchiha.

"Very well then, do you have any witnesses that you would like to call upon in your defense?" The blonde continued.

"No"

Again gasps went around the room as Tsunade banged her gavel on the podium to quiet everyone down.

"Do you have any evidence you would like to present?"

"No" again the boy's monotone, almost defeated voice, rang out through the silence.

"Is there anything you would like to say then before we render our verdict?"

Sasuke seemed to contemplate this before nodding slightly and taking a deep breath.

"I wish to apologize to everyone who was injured in my betrayal. Now that the _Cursed Seal_ has been suppressed I fully realize the terrible consequences of my actions but I make no excuses for them. I was a spoiled brat even before the mark was placed on me and my drive for power was obvious even before I officially became a Genin. I have hurt those closest to me, those who called me a friend, those I have shunned, and those who rescued me despite the fact that I did not deserve to be. I am truly sorry for what I have done but I ask that I be judged based on my actions and not my heritage."

With that the boy fell silent once more, staring back into the eyes of the woman who now held the position of Hokage.

 _***SooP***_

"The State will now present its case and evidence. Will Kakashi Hatake please come forward."

The cyclopean Jonin stepped up, for once his orange book nowhere to be seen, and gave a respectful nod to those seated before him.

"Kakashi, as Sasuke Uchiha's Jonin you have been present through his training and much of what has shaped the person he has now become, you also have knowledge on the seal that was placed upon him. What do you have to say for your pupil." The Senju commanded in a powerful voice.

"Sasuke Uchiha… is what we would classify as the 'stereotypical' member of a major clan. He is stubborn, prideful, arrogant, and highly skilled. We have seen Ninja fail because of these attributes and some succeed beyond all expectations. I believe that this is a point in his life that will shape what will become of the rest of it. On one hand we could remove him from the program entirely, seal his Chakra, and forbid any further use of him, but I feel as though that would be a grave waste of a potentially skilled Shinobi considering that he is still in the phase where his personality can be helped. He can still be saved and I believe that if he is given the _correct_ attention this time around he will make a great Ninja one day."

Tsunade nodded before gesturing for the next witness to stand and give testimony.

"Sasuke is a stuck up prickish asshole who needs an asskicking the likes of which have never been recorded." Kiba began, earning face palms from his remaining teammates and his family. "That said he really isn't a bad guy. Sure the douche tried to shove a Chidori through my chest when I was just trying to help him but that hickey played a major part in it I'm sure. He was always a bit of an ass but I still trust him even now and I would be thrilled to be with him on a team once he has recovered and is no longer a risk of betrayal."

"Uh thank you Kiba…"

Next up was Sakura, who tried her best to defend the boy but couldn't even make eye contact with him. An action which caused the boy in question to wince far more than it should have.

It was even worse when the pinkette muttered out that she couldn't trust him as he was now, even with the seal being suppressed.

The remaining members of the retrieval squad spoke up a bit about their mission and his attitude that they observed, though nothing major.

Next were the two Uzumaki sisters. Akane was called due to her match with him during the Chunin exams and Natsuko for her battle with him during the retrieval.

"As he is now the Uchiha is a danger to himself and everyone around him." Akane declared, before continuing on. "But he is not beyond redemption. If there is one thing I have learned in the last month it is that no one should be abandoned and given up on. If we do this then he loses any chance at redeeming himself."

Itachi gave the girl a thankful nod as she returned to her seat with her teammates.

"Natsuko, do you have anything to say?" Tsunade inquired.

The young blonde gave the boy a surprising glare that made the rest of the room flinch back.

"If you ever come near my sister or any of my teammates I will bury you"

With that the blonde walked back to her seat.

 _***SooP***_

"I understand what my son did was wrong, and I know that we have been treated differently because of our clan and that it is certainly part of the problem. I just want to take this moment to beg you not to kill him. Even if you have to seal his Chakra and ban him from the Ninja program… please just don't take him from me. I don't have much left." Mikoto lightly sobbed before turning to walk back to her seat.

It was there that she froze when her eyes locked with those of the two Uzumaki sisters. It was at that moment that memories of her best friend came flooding back to her, memories of the laughs and sorrows they had shared, of the promises they had made each other to protect one another and each other's families. Memories of when Kushina lay dying on her bed and the Uchiha woman making her a promise to take care of her daughters no matter what.

Memories of all the times she had betrayed her best friend's memory.

"I-I am so sorry... for everything." The woman sobbed out before nearly collapsing back into her chair.

 _***SooP***_

"Itachi, would you like to make any last statement?" Tsunade called out.

The ANBU nodded before clearing his throat hesitantly.

"As both Sasuke's brother and a member of the Ninja ranks I am torn between what to say here. My head is telling me that what he has done is unforgiveable, that we execute criminals for any one of these accusations, much less all of them. It is telling me that even the loss of the Sharingan is not worth the risk of keeping Ninja in the ranks that cannot be trusted. Yet my heart is begging me to plead for his life, to save him no matter what the consequences would be. I believe that this is one of the times that I am truly glad that I am not part of this council. I do not know how I would be able to make a decision on such a situation."

With that the boy went back and put a comforting arm around his brother, hugging him tightly just in case it would be the last time.

"Very well, we shall break for now and come back once we have reached a decision."

 _***SooP***_

"Sasuke Uchiha, please stand for your judgement."

The boy glanced towards his mother and brother before approaching the podium as instructed.

"This council has decided that you are far too valuable of a resource to simply dispose of, despite you heinous acts. Therefore you will be placed in psychological counseling. Upon complete removal of _The Cursed Seal_ you shall be evaluated and it will then be determined whether you can join your former team or if you will be placed in a new one."

The boy nodded before attempting to thank the council for saving him, only to be interrupted by the Senju woman.

" _However_ let it be known that quite a few members here are very unhappy with the outcome and still believe you are being treated differently due to your clan and status. Both Jiraiya and myself are among these so let me make this perfectly clear Sasuke, if you _ever_ attempt anything like this again… there will be no trial. For now I do believe that you and your family owe both Akane and Natsuko a great deal for their actions. Akane is still working without pay on removing that mark and Natsuko knowingly chose to spare your life despite your actions during your betrayal. I hereby declare this _trial_ resolved… now get the hell out of my sight." The woman growled out at the end, earning a quick nod and bow from the three remaining Uchiha before they made their hasty exit.

 _***SooP***_

Mikoto Uchiha took a deep breath as she stood in front of the Senju clan home.

It had been a day since the trial and she had just recently managed to calm her emotions, both joy at her son's life and career being spared and the overwhelming guilt that even now had not completely left her.

She was here to address both of these issues at once.

The woman reached forward and gently knocked on the ancestral home, alerting its occupants to her presence.

A few minutes passed before the door was cautiously opened, revealing the redhead Uzumaki girl standing before her.

"Uchiha-Sama"

"Uhm hello Akane, is your sister home by chance?"

The girl nodded before gesturing behind her with a nod, revealing the blonde standing several feet away.

"I was hoping to speak with you both concerning several topics."

The redhead made no attempt to move, but continued staring blankly at the woman.

Mikoto let out a mental sigh before continuing in her attempts to make amends.

"May I come in?"

"No"

The response was quick and precise, showing that the Kushina's daughter held no trust in the Uchiha clan head.

"I see… I just wanted to thank you for bringing my son back, and for your testimony during the trial. I was told that you expect to have the _Cursed Seal_ remedy in the next few days?"

"Yes"

This time the older woman winced at the lack of emotion in the tone.

"Oh well that's good… listen I know that you probably don't trust my younger son or even me for how I voted during the council meeting but I want you to know that I only did it for the sake of Konoha. I was actually very close to your mother back when…"

"We know, the letter our father wrote us spoke of you and that you had promised our mother that you would be there for us… I guess it slipped your mind for a few years huh?"

This time it was the blonde who spoke up in an accusing tone, hatred rolling off of her the entire time.

"I am sorry for that… it was very difficult to focus on anything after the massacre and then…"

"You decided to try and repopulate your clan using us?"

Again Mikoto winced at Natsuko's accusations.

"Kushina and I had always dreamed that one of her daughters might end up with one of my sons… I understand that you have no interest in recreating either of our clans in that manner but I just hope you do not rule out the idea of my older son though, he seems to have taken quite the liking to you Akane…"

"Get the hell out."

Akane immediately slammed the door in the woman's face after her command.

'That… could have gone better… I wonder what I will do when I finally pass on and meet up with you Kushina… will I beg for your forgiveness? Do I even deserve it?' the Uchiha pondered before slowly making her way back to her own family.

 _***SooP***_

"Hey Sensei I have been meaning to ask you something."

"And what would that be Tsunade?"

"I have gone over the invasion and the incident with Orochimaru, but there seems to be something missing from the official report."

"What would that be hime? After all I THE NOBLE AND GALLIANT JIRAIYA personally helped to write and check over the document."

Tsunade's eye twitched slightly as she let out a sigh before continuing the conversation.

"You said that 'The Third Hokage was currently engaged in a battle with the First, Second, and Fourth Hokages who had been returned via the _Edo Tensei_ behind a barrier. At one point Akane intervened and disabled the First and Second.' Correct?"

Jiraiya took on a thinking pose before nodding in confirmation.

"So what is the problem Tsunade?" Hiruzen inquired.

"How did she 'intervene'? If no one could get through the barrier then how is it that a Genin did and yet no one else managed to do so after her?"

"That is a very good question hime." The white haired man answered with a sage nod.

A few moments passed before the woman pressed the question.

"….and?"

"And what?"

"How did she do it?"

"No freaking clue"

The blonde haired woman blinked in confusion and shock as the two men seemed quite pleased with this answer.

"What the hell do you mean 'no freaking clue'? One of you is a Sanin and the other is heralded as 'The Professor'. How do you not know how she did it?"

"Listen hime there was a lot going on. Giant snakes, two invading armies, a pedophile running rampant, zombie Hokages, Mokuton out the wazoo, something that looked like Hiraishin."

"Wait what was that last one?"

"Mokuton?"

"No after that"

"Zombies?"

"Now you are going backwards… what was the last thing on your list?"

"Pedophiles?"

"No…" this time Tsunade growled out in response, "You said something about Hiraishin."

"No I didn't"

'Yes you did"

"Nuh uh"

"Yeah huh"

The elder Shinobi just watched with a smile as his two students began bickering like children, reminding him of the old days when they actually were that young.

"Fine forget it, Sensei did you see how she got into the barrier?"

"I am not sure what I saw to be honest." The old man answered.

"See! Besides the idea that a Genin could take one of the most infamous, powerful, and complex Jutsu of all time and perfect it in a way that even the genius Fourth Hokage, and my greatest student, couldn't do is ridiculous."

"Yes quite ridiculous" The Sarutobi clan head agreed while nodding his head.

Tsunade just watched on in annoyance as the two, apparently crazed, men laughed off the idea in order to save what remained of their sanity.

 _***SooP***_

Akane's work on Orochimaru's seal was once more interrupted by knocking at the front door.

Growling in annoyance the girl walked to the barrier, her hand on the katana that she now kept with her at all times.

Upon opening the door she was greeted with another annoying sight.

Itachi Uchiha

"Uchiha-Sama"

"Uzumaki-Sama"

"Should I be expecting a visit from your brother as well tonight? Because if so I will just warn you now that Natsuko isn't in the best of moods so if you would prefer his limbs stay attached to his body I would suggest that you tell him to find someone else to pester."

The ANBU operative raised his eyebrow in confusion at the girl's statement before asking the question himself, "What do you… my mother was here wasn't she…"

"Yes"

The Shinobi barely managed to stifle the groan that threatened to escape his lips.

Of course his mother would come by and make things even more uncomfortable.

"I apologize for anything she might have said. Despite the horrific feeling in my gut telling me not to ask… may I inquire what she said?"

"Apparently you have 'taken a liking to me'."

Itachi's eye began violently twitching as he pondered if he truly had followed the correct path in not murdering his _entire_ clan and becoming a missing Ninja like Danzo had suggested.

"I see…."

"I also believe that there was a story concerning her and my mother wanting us to give them grandchildren."

This time the Uchiha had to forcibly stop himself from smashing his head into the nearby wall… repeatedly.

"I apologize for… her… and my brother for all the stupid things he has done and will inevitably continue to do."

"I would suggest keeping a closer eye on him, if the Hokage's ending statement was correct then he will not receive another 'get out of jail free pass'."

"Nor should he, I would have preferred his punishment have been harsher than what he received. All that this teaches him and the village is that those with special bloodlines are above everyone else."

"It does seem that way." Akane agreed.

"Thank you for your work on the seal, we all deeply appreciate it."

The redhead gave a nod of acceptance.

"Remember if you ever need _anything_ we are forever in you and your sister's debt. Now I need to go and find my brother to make sure he isn't doing something stupid again…"

With that the Uchiha flickered away, leaving the girl to return to her project.

 _***SooP***_

"Are you sure you have to leave so soon?" Kurenai asked, as she continued trying to pry Anko's _death grip hug_ off of the two sisters.

Hinata stood off to the side watching as the purple haired Jonin sobbed uncontrollably onto the other two Genin.

"Yeah sorry Sensei, Ero-Sanin said that it would be safer for us to leave Konoha for a while and get some training abroad." The blond replied as the Genjutsu mistress finally forced Anko to release them.

"BUT FOR THREE YEARS!? WHAT WILL I DO WITHOUT YOU!?" the woman continued hysterically.

"You will enjoy a freedom you have never been allowed to have. Besides Anko we will be back before you know it." the redhead responded.

Anko turned to hide her crying onto Kurenai's shoulder, who also looked quite sad at losing two of her students, even if it was temporary.

"P-please be safe and return as soon as you can." Hinata softly called out, before she was glomped by the affectionate blonde.

"Don't you worry Hinata-chan me and onee-chan will become super awesome Kunoichi and so will you so in three years we will be even more awesome together!"

The Hyuga girl nodded, noticing the other Uzumaki nod in confirmation.

"Take care of yourself Hinata."

"I will, thank you both so much for everything you have done for my sister and me."

"Alright, alright comeon brats we are burning daylight. There are places to be, things to do, and hot springs to spy… I mean investigate!"

"But Jiraiya how could you forget our deal? If we are on our training mission then that means 'no research' remember?" Akane pointed out with a smirk.

The white haired man's eyes shot open as he paled in a way that would have made Orochimaru proud.

"What have I done…." The Sanin muttered in horror.

***A/N***

So this will be the last chapter before the time skip, obviously. I won't be going into the actual training because I find those chapters boring to read and write.

Instead I will be summarizing what happened later on.

I hope everyone was pleased with what the girl's received, both attention wise and from their parents.

I am really hoping that the 'trial' wasn't too terrible. It was sort of a last minute inclusion that kept being added on to.

Till next time I hope everyone is enjoying the story!


	21. Reunion

**Sum of our Parts**

Reunion

***If I owned Naruto the 'time skip' would have brought way bigger changes to the story. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

 _Three Years_

It had been three long years for the blonde Senju as she sat in her office, taking a sip from the sake bottle she had managed to smuggle in past Shizune.

Three years and there had not been a single message from Jiraiya on her Granddaughters' progress.

She silently swore that if they came back as perverts that nothing would save that man from her wrath, he would be stuck doing 'Catch Tora' missions for the rest of his days with academy students. Deep down she also missed the big oaf. Sure he was a perverted old lecher who was constantly ogling women and making those Kami awful books but he still had a way of lightening the mood whenever it needed to be.

He could always bring a smile, however small, to her face.

The Hokage had been hoping that upon her return that she might even be able to catch up with the man, especially after she began considering taking the hat from her Sensei. However, it seemed like luck had once again not been on her side.

At least she still had her two apprentices, although Shizune had long since stepped onto her own path as a Kunoichi and Hinata was often busy with work at the hospital, training with Kurenai, or working on her Taijutsu with Neji.

That had been a shocker to say the least, within a day of the two Uzumaki Sisters' departure Neji had approached the Branch Clan member and offered to train her on some Hyuga techniques if she would give him some pointers on combining elemental Chakra with his own _Gentle Fist_.

She had agreed and since then the two had grown remarkably close considering how much she had detested the boy as a Genin.

Overall the two Hyuga had grown marvelously.

The same could be said about the other members of their class as well.

Kiba had practically bullied Kakashi and his mother into continuing his training, and had thus grown both physically and mentally from it.

Shino and Shikamaru were being considered for promotion to Jonin soon due to their personal and teamwork skills.

Sakura and Ino had finally seen the error of their ways and began training seriously, often with Kurenai in the art of Genjutsu due to Sakura's Chakra control and Ino's proficiency in her clan Jutsu.

Choji had finally 'grown his wings' so to speak and was becoming an increasingly skilled Shinobi with the help of Might Gai and his training regimen.

All of the remaining Genin from that year had reached promotion to Chunin, much to their parents' satisfaction.

Then there was Sasuke Uchiha.

This thought cause Tsunade to growl in annoyance as she remembered the conversation that had taken place mere months ago.

 _***Flash***_

"Hokage-Sama" The two Uchiha bowed respectfully as they entered the woman's office.

"Ah Itachi-San, and Sasuke… it is _good_ to see you both. I assume this is for our monthly report Itachi? Though I must say you are a bit early and I think it would be better for these briefings to be in private."

Part of Sasuke's 'parole' was that he would be analyzed by either his brother or another Jonin each month to watch his progress both psychologically and physically. Tsunade wanted to ensure that any traitorous thoughts or actions would be avoided this time around.

"Actually Hokage-Sama this is a separate matter entirely. I will allow Sasuke to make his case." The elder Uchiha brother took a step back as he gave his brother a slight comforting gesture.

"Hokage-Sama, as you know my psych evaluations have been normal for the past two and a half years. My teamwork has shown dramatic improvements, and I have even been promoted due to your generous suggestion."

The blonde nodded slightly, it was true that the boy had shown impressive improvements and even Ibiki and Inoichi had given him their approvals. Tsunade was not a fool and knew a talented Shinobi when she saw one, hence the promotion.

"As such I would like to make a request, normally this sort of training is handled entirely separate from the Hokage since it falls under Uchiha clan jurisdiction but I felt that this would be sending the wrong message so I wanted to ask your approval and opinion before even attempting it. I have already spoken with Kakashi-Sensei and although he is against the idea he does concede that it would improve my abilities dramatically."

"And what is this training that is so secretive Sasuke?"

The boy took a deep breath to steady his nerves before staring back at the woman, trying not to show fear or hesitation.

"I want my brother to help me achieve the Mangekyo Sharingan."

The silence in the room was stifling as Sasuke began to sweat in nervousness.

He knew what he was asking for, that it sounded as if he was falling back into his old ways of desiring power in order to surpass his brother and to prove that he was the best, but it wasn't the case. Not this time.

"Your reasoning?"

Sasuke was actually a bit shocked at the lack of hatred or killing intent in the Sanin's words. He had expected everything from being thrown through a wall to flat out imprisonment.

"My last mission involving Team Seven almost ended in catastrophe."

Tsunade nodded in remembrance. It had been a 'simple' B ranked mission to The Land of Tea and due to Konoha's lack of manpower she had been forced to send Sasuke, Sakura, and Kiba without Kakashi or any other Ninja as backup.

They had run into a high level missing Ninja and it had cost them dearly. Sasuke's training had been put on hold during his evaluations and was still focusing on teamwork, Sakura was still developing her Genjutsu skill and was still considered a novice, and even though Kiba had been training diligently with his Sensei being pulled into more missions he had been struggling as well.

The result was that they were completely unprepared for facing the Jonin ranked Ninja, and they nearly lost their lives in the process.

Amazingly they had pulled a come from behind victory, albeit barely, by injuring the man with a complicated teamwork formation.

The blonde woman sighed in acknowledgement before nodding her head.

"I understand that Sasuke and I know you do feel partially responsible for this but…"

"No, I don't feel 'partially responsible' I am 'completely responsible'. If I hadn't left then Kiba would not have been stuck in a hospital recovering for weeks. If I hadn't been such an asshole in the first place and just worked and encouraged the others like I should have been then we would have been more than ready for what happened."

"What is needed for this evolution?"

Sasuke gave a hesitant glance towards his brother who decided to answer for him.

"In order to awaken the new form you must undergo extreme psychological trauma, usually the death of one's best friend. I plan on doing this by using the _Tsukuyomi_ on him and forcing him to experience this."

"Absolutely not, I will not risk the future of one of the last remaining Uchiha Ninja as well as one of our most promising Shinobi on the potential success of a psychologically scarring incident."

"It's more than that Hokage-Sama, Itachi is going blind."

The woman directed her piercing gaze towards the older Uchiha, who failed to meet her stare.

"Is this true Itachi?"

"Yes" the man muttered out before continuing his explanation. "Using the Mangekyo Sharingan leads to blindness. The only way to reverse this would be to swap the eyes of two blood relatives who both wield those eyes."

"So it's not just about your own abilities but ensuring that both of you expand in power."

"It's about saving my brother. For once I want to do something for him and improve his life rather than just my own and help my team as well. If that means that going through some stress then so be it."

Tsunade took a deep breath before letting out a big sigh.

"Fine, but if this ends badly and we have to put him in a mental ward you will be taking his place on all of his missions as well, and I hear tell there is quite the buildup of D-rank missions right now."

Itachi flinched, and looked as if he was about to change his mind before Sasuke accepted the terms.

 _***End Flashback***_

The next day the Uchiha brothers had emerged from their clan compound, and although Sasuke looked as if he had been through hell the result was a success, and Tsunade scheduled the operation.

Now though the Hokage's thoughts turned to the two missing Kunoichi whom she had been missing for so long. She had wanted to catch up with them, to make amends for all the times she hadn't been in their lives.

Yet here she was stuck behind a desk doing paperwork and sipping…

"YES I THE AMAZINGLY GALIANT, SUPREME, FANTASTIC, COURAGEOUS, SUPERB…"

Without thinking the woman leapt to the window and shouted her response to her teammate

"JIRAIYA SHUT THE HELL UP SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO… WAIT GET YOUR ASS UP HERE RIGHT…"

In a flash the man was sitting on the window ledge, his face mere inches from her own, the same contagious grin as always covering his features.

"You rang my lady?"

"J-Jiraiya…" For a moment the woman was speechless as her heart seemed to flutter in excitement. Before it was once more covered by an unyielding rage.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!"

"I told you, we were out training, seeing the world, indulging on life's…"

"I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS HOLY I WILL CASTRATE YOU IF YOU TURNED MY GRANDCHILDREN INTO PERVERTS."

Jiraiya had the decency to look shocked.

"Hokage-hime have you so little faith in me?"

"Yes"

The man pouted.

"So where are my two favorite…"

Before she could finish a blonde projectile tackled into her, crashing the poor woman into the ground in a fit of giggles

"Baa-Chan!"

"Excuse me!?"

"Lady Tsunade it appears as though… oh you already know…" Shizune interrupted, as Akane also stood in the office.

"Thanks for the warning Shizune." The woman growled, earning a giggle from her secretary.

After managing to pry the blonde ball of sunshine off of her The Hokage took a look at the three Ninja that now stood in front of her.

Jiraiya hadn't changed much but both girls were now considerably taller.

Natsuko's hair had grown out and was now down to her waste, the childhood wonder was still in her eyes even as her Ninja attire still contained stripes of orange.

Akane still had the same dark attire, although there was considerably more crimson incorporated into the outfit than before.

It appeared that she was completely unarmed, although based on her skills before departing Tsunade guessed they were hidden away in storage seals.

"So Jiraiya how did the trip go? I assume it was very productive and…"

"I HAVENT HAD SEX IN THREE YEARS!"

For the first time in longer than she could remember Tsunade sat in stunned silence, her mind trying to process what had just been shouted at her by the white haired man.

"Excuse me?"

"OH YOU DAMN WELL HEARD ME HIME, ALL THANKS TO THAT STUPID BET I WASN'T ALLOWED TO GET LAID ONCE!"

The blonde shifted her gaze to the redhead who merely shrugged in response.

"I never said you couldn't have sex, the terms were that you were not allowed to do any 'research' while you were accompanying us. That meant no abandoning us to go peeping. You could do whatever you wanted on your free time."

The Sage's expression resembled more of a gaping fish rather than a toad at that moment.

"But you… and I… and she… and wha…"

"Jiraiya are you…"

Once again the elder Senju was interrupted, this time by a shout of joy, as the man leapt to the window frame and jumped out into the village, crying tears of joy about how he was going to "have so much sex that he would die from exhaustion"

Tsunade feared for the women of Konoha

 _***SooP***_

"Come on Hinata get up, you can do better than that." Anko coaxed in an encouraging voice.

"I-I'm trying Anko-Sensei." The girl panted, completely covered in sweat as she pushed herself slowly to her feet.

Meanwhile Kurenai watched on as her remaining student and best friend continued the intense sparring that Hinata had requested.

The girl's progress had been remarkable these past three years. Not only had she become a skilled medic but the Hyuga had also found a drive that most Ninja could only dream about. Through that her skill with Genjutsu, both of her elements, and her unique Taijutsu style had improved in leaps and bounds.

There had been no debate when the red eyed Jonin had recommended her for Chunin.

Since then the pale eyed Kunoichi had only pushed herself harder, struggling for some unknown goal.

When asked about it Hinata had only replied that she _would_ be able to stand by her teammates when they returned.

Kurenai was starting to believe that when the two sisters did return it would be the opposite as before. They would be struggling to keep up with Hinata.

The Sensei of Team eight was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her student being thrown to the ground once more.

"Not bad Hinata-chan, I must say you have improved remarkably. Sure you still can't keep up with me yet but that's to be expected. I am a Jonin for a reason you know."

"A-again"

"It's okay to take a break Hinata. You have been pushing yourself for close to eighteen hours a day since you made Chunin. You have proven that you…"

"Again"

Kurenai sighed before shrugging and giving a nod to the purple haired woman.

"Your call, alright then Hinata-chan!" The snake summoner smirked before lunging once more for the Chunin, who looked about ready to collapse.

Just as she reached the poor girl a blonde blur tackled her from the side, while Hinata herself seemed to vanish in a streak of red.

"What the…"

"ANKO-CHAN!"

Kurenai's jaw dropped as she saw the grown up Uzumaki trapping Anko in a death grip of her own, before catching a glance of Anko holding Hinata bridle style a few feet from where she had originally been standing.

"GAKIS!"

Anko cried out happily as she returned the hug in full force.

"Hinata"

"A-A-Akane-chan!"

"Akane, Natsuko your back!" the Genjutsu mistress cried out happily as she moved towards where the redhead was carrying Hinata.

"We just got back today Kurenai-Sensei" the blonde exclaimed happily.

"You are looking well Hinata. I see you have developed quite nicely and…"

Hinata had already passed out though, a combination of exhaustion and excitement.

"Perhaps we overdid our return a bit?"

"Nonsense onee-chan! 'If you have to make an entrance make sure it is remembered'."

"Let me guess Jiraiya taught you that?" Anko mused happily, as she brought the other girl into a fierce hug.

"That among other things." Akane answered.

"Nothing perverted I hope…" Kurenai muttered, earning a laugh from Anko, the first one that the red eyed Kunoichi remembered hearing in a long time.

Finally Team eight was back together again.

 _***SooP***_

Tsunade sat across from Jiraiya who was sporting a smug smile.

A smile that made her want to knock his teeth out.

"Now that… was a welcome home party." The man sighed in contentment.

"If you are quite done 'getting your rocks off' could we move onto a serious conversation?"

"Of course hime, what would you like to talk about?"

The blonde stared at the man incredulously.

"Are you serious? You have been out of contact for three years and have the nerve to ask me 'what I want to talk about'?"

"Uh…. yes?"

"MY GRANDDAUGHTERS YOU PERVERTED ASS!"

"No need to be rude about it hime…" the man muttered, earning an eye twitch from the Hokage. "So what is it that you want to know first?"

"Well I _hope_ that you taught them a few things over the training period, so let's start with that. How have they improved as Kunoichi?"

The white haired man paused, before unsealing a rather large bottle of expensive sake and tipping it back to take a very long drink.

"That bad or that good?"

"Both"

Tsunade felt a twinge of fear, she knew that the two would become much stronger out of Konoha and its influences but they couldn't have improved _that_ much right?

"Did you know… that Mokuton users are natural Sages?"

The Hokage snapped back to the conversation wide eyed. Sure she had heard the stories of her grandfather's abilities but she never considered that he might have developed those types of powers on his own.

"It's true," the man continued after seeing her shocked gaze. "I took them to Mt. Myoboku for Sage training pretty early on. You know it took me around a year to grasp the concept and still I have trouble with it right? Well Natsuko picked it up after about a month, Akane took a little bit longer."

"That's… impressive."

"Oh I don't think 'impressive' is the word for how much they have improved. Those two girls are practically monsters now in terms of raw power. Akane's Fuinjutsu has improved well beyond mine and her physical ability is into the Jonin level by now. The only real problem I had was teaching her new tricks since she can't use Ninjutsu at all we had to improvise a bit. So we traveled for most of the time, picking fights with random Ninja and Taijutsu experts to get her experience."

"That… is actually pretty clever considering what I have heard about her abilities, what about Natsuko?"

"She… is an army unto herself."

Tsunade's eyes widened once more in shock.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise on that one, let's just say that when she first showed me even I didn't fully grasp what she had accomplished but once I did…"

The Senju nodded. "What about their personal lives? I was hoping they would be able to return to their old team eventually."

"No worries there, sure Akane is still a bit anti-social but their teamwork together is rather terrifying. Oh and Natsuko is dating someone right now."

Tsunade smiled before doing a double take.

"Wait what the hell do you mean 'she is dating someone'? Who the hell could she be… JIRAIYA I SWEAR TO KAMI IF YOU ARE DATING MY GRANDDAUGHTER I WILL RIP YOUR TESTICLES OFF!"

The man immediately covered his crotch with his hands protectively.

"Of course not! What kind of pervert do you think I am…. You know what don't answer that."

"So then who is she… oh God please don't tell me she is dating her sister…"

The Toad Sage immediately stared off into space, a perverted grin on his face as blood seeped from his nose.

"Icha Icha, the forbidden fruit… I COULD BE RICH!"

"Ah hem…."

"Oh I mean, of course not Hokage-hime!"

Tsunade paused, going over the situation in her mind. Natsuko was currently dating someone, which meant it wasn't a long term relationship and she had _just_ gotten back. She wasn't dating Jiraiya or her sister, and there was no one else traveling with them.

"Then who the hell _is_ she dating Jiraiya?"

"Well the thing is, it's actually kinda funny when you think about it and…"

"Get on with it…"

"She is sorta, kinda, dating the Kyuubi?"

Tsunade froze as her jaw hit the desk.

"Jiraiya, this isn't funny… is she being…"

"Manipulated? No, Akane is regularly inspecting the seal after I explained everything I knew about it. Plus she has already had 'the talk' with both of them."

"The talk?"

"The 'if you manipulate or hurt my sister I will make your existence a living hell' talk."

"Ah, well she would be the best one to do it."

"Yeah… she is scary with Fuinjutsu."

Tsunade nodded before taking a calming breath. "Well if that is the case then I only have one thing to say about this.

"And what is that hime?"

"WHAT IN THE NINE CIRCLES OF HELL ARE YOU THINKING!?"

 _***SooP***_

"Natsuko, Akane your back!" Ino exclaimed as the rest of the two sisters' classmates approached the ramen stand where the three youngest members of Team eight sat.

"Hey Ino-chan! How are you guys?"

"Oh I'm doing fantastic! You two have been gone so long and missed so much gossip!"

"Troublesome woman…"

"Oh can it Shikamaru you were just as eager to see them as the rest of us. In fact you actually got up from a nap when you heard they were back in the village."

The boy muttered something incoherent before looking away.

"So what have we missed Ino-chan?"

"Well the big thing is that…"

"Sasuke-Kun and I are dating!" Sakura happily squealed out.

Ino growled as the pinkette 'stole her thunder' and turned to glare at the other girl.

"I told you that _I_ wanted to tell them forehead!"

"Excuse me pig? It's my relationship and I will tell whoever I damn well please!"

"Yeah no kidding, we all practically heard your shout of excitement after your first date!"

"Oh yeah well just because I won and you lost doesn't mean that…"

"Sakura-chan, be nice." Sasuke's voice called out from the back of the group as he stepped forward.

Although there was no killing intent released there was a noticeable drop in the temperature as he approached the two girls.

Neither tensed, but everyone could tell that they were immediately on guard.

For his part Sasuke's eyes widened a bit in shock at the change in the two. They had gone from casually relaxed to prepared to kill without so much as drawing a weapon.

"I uhm… just wanted to thank you two for what you did… without the two of you I wouldn't be standing here right now, heck I don't even know if I would be alive at this point so… thank you." The Uchiha bowed respectfully before taking a step back to try and ease the tension.

The apology seemed to have helped as the two girls relaxed a bit.

"So any other changes since we have been gone?"

"Uh try a ton!" Kiba exclaimed excitedly. "Were all badass Chunin now and rumor has it that a couple of our class might be making Jonin soon. Also Hinata-chan has been getting training from The Hokage herself! Oh and Sasuke's got these super cool new eyes that make him ever bett…"

He was interrupted by Neji elbowing him in the stomach, hard.

"Seriously Kiba were you always this dumb?" Tenten muttered in shock. Even Lee knew better than to mention their ranks to someone who wouldn't have had an opportunity to progress, meaning that the two sisters were undoubtedly the last of the Genin from their group. Not to mention that he had blurted out the improved power of someone who had tried to kill them the last time they had a mission.

"What does he mean by 'new eyes'? They look the same to me." Natsuko questioned, tilting her head to the side in a way that made all the Kunoichi want to scream 'Kawaii'.

"Oh they are most definitely not the same. Sasuke-Kun evolved his eyes to a super advanced version of the Sharingan and then switched them out with Itachi's so that they are even better now!" Sakura shouted out in a dreamy fashion.

Sasuke nodded, enjoying the praise when he could.

"So you like the new and improved eyes then?" the blonde Uzumaki questioned curiously.

"Of course! They are even more dreamy than before, he's so much more handsome and charming and…"

"Doesn't that mean you like his brother's eyes more than his?" the redhead interrupted, causing the various Ninja to freeze at the reality.

"I… no… cause that's not…"

Meanwhile most of the boys were snickering as Sasuke gaped at the conclusion.

"She's got you there Sasuke- _kun_ looks like your girl has the hots for your bro's eyes." Kiba laughed as he smacked his teammate on the back.

"Quite embarrassing indeed, I can't imagine what it would feel like if Tenten-chan enjoyed someone's eyes more than mine." Neji stated with a chuckle.

He hadn't realized what he said until the excitable young blonde's grin threatened to envelope her face.

"So it's Tenten- _chan_ now huh Neji? And how much _does_ she enjoy your eyes?"

The Hyuga heir glanced around nervously as he began sweating, seeing the girl in question's face with a mixture of curiosity at what he would answer and annoyance at being exposed this way.

"I… uh…"

"AH HA! So your flames of youth have indeed found a suitable match in Tenten's! YOUR FLAMES SHALL BURN EVEN BRIGHTER NOW MY RIVAL!" Lee shouted, now directing the snickering towards the pale eyed boy instead.

"Wow Hyuga it looks like you have your own set of woman troubles to deal with. Luckily my woman knows her place in our relationship." Sasuke taunted, only to freeze in fear at the killing intent being directed towards him.

"And what place would that be _Sasuke-kun?_ " a voice far too sweet inquired.

Slowly the boy turned to see his girlfriend, smiling far too brightly for comfort, slowly walking towards him.

"W-well I mean… what I meant to say was that… uh… LOOK KIBA IS PEEING ON INO!"

For some reason the distraction worked as most of the Ninja, including Ino and Kiba themselves, turned to look in the direction the boy was pointing allowing him to quickly make his escape.

Unfortunately Kiba, Ino, and Sakura all took offense to the statement and the three proceeded to chase after the boy, screaming about the pain he was about to be put in.

The others chuckled before Choji shouted about a 'ramen eating contest' and proceeded to sit down next to Natsuko.

It would be the first time Choji would ever lose such a contest.

 _***SooP***_

As the two Uzumaki walked towards the Senju Clan home, where Tsunade had practically demanded that they stay, both halted and turned back to face one of the empty alley ways.

"I don't like being followed, especially by someone who has been watching me all night." Akane called out.

Moments later Itachi walked out of the shadows, a hand on the back of his head in mild embarrassment.

"It seems as though you have quite the acute senses still Akane-San."

"I just remembered I have some ramen boiling at home, I'll see you later onee-chan! Don't wear her out too much Itachi-kun." The blonde sister giggled before running off.

"Very discreet of you Natsuko…" the redhead muttered, her stare never leaving the Shinobi before her.

"I heard you just got back into the village today…"

"Correct."

"I was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat with me."

"Why?"

The question caused the Uchiha to blink in surprise. He had thought that the answer would be fairly obvious but perhaps after three years with the Sanin something had changed.

"Well I was hoping to spend some time with you."

"I understand that, but again I ask 'why'. If you are looking for a one night stand then go somewhere else I'm not interested. If you are hoping to start a relationship then look elsewhere."

"Why is that?"

"You do not want to be in a relationship with me."

"You are so sure?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?" The Sharingan wielder questioned, taking a step forward towards the girl slowly.

"Because I am not the type of person that can be in those types of relationships."

"Oh? I think you can be if you chose to."

"Why me? Is it because of my heritage or some crap?"

Throughout the conversation Itachi had continued moving towards the girl, who had thus far continued stepping back away from him.

"No… I began to 'see' you before that. You are… interesting to me. You are a puzzle that I cannot figure out no matter how hard I try."

Finally Akane's back hit the wall, allowing the boy to come within arm's length of her. Here he stopped though.

"Can you truly say that you have no interest in romance at all? That you are not the least bit curious in experiencing the physical side of intimacy?"

"I have had enough of the 'physical side' to last me a lifetime, and none of it was by choice."

The Uchiha's eyes widened in understanding as he took a step back to give the girl, who he had just now noticed was trembling slightly, some space.

"I… did not know… I am truly sorry for pushing the subject like that…"

"It isn't your fault, I try not to talk about it."

The boy turned to leave before glancing back at the girl in concern, "You should".

He disappeared a moment later using _Sunshin_.

 _***SooP***_

"Jiji"

"JIJI IS HERE!" Natsuko happily shouted as she practically torpedoed into the older man, who smiled happily.

"Good to see you both again. How was your trip with Jiraiya?"

"Ero-Sensei? It was AWESOME! We went to a mountain full of frogs, and then we went like all over the place and saw all these cool villages and stuff. And then there was these island ruins that were really important and…."

As the blonde happily recounted everything that happened The Third was content to just sitting back and listening to the tale. He was glad that the girls had been given the opportunity to travel and see the world as he had longed to do. Free of the politics and bureaucracy.

Unfortunately he was far too recognizable to leave on such a journey now, even if he was healthy enough to do so. It was one of the few opportunities that he had longed for later in life.

"Are you okay Jiji?"

His attention snapped back to the conversation, noticing the two girls were giving him worried stares.

"Yes yes I am fine, just getting a bit old I suppose." The man chuckled as he rubbed at the pain in his back.

"Perhaps you should lie down and rest, can I get you something?" The redhead continued as her sister gently helped the aged man stand.

"Quite unnecessary, I just need to be a bit more careful where I walk and how much I exert myself. One of the problems with growing old I'm afraid."

The two Kunoichi nodded, but the former Hokage could tell that their suspicions were not averted.

"Jiji… are you sick?"

The man's eyes widened for a moment, before they gently closed as he gave the two a warm smile.

"Yes I am afraid I am. Another problem with getting old is that I seem to get worn out and catch colds far easier than I used to. Tsunade has been demanding I spend more time relaxing in bed but I know that if I do that it will just hasten the aging process. I would rather walk around while I am still able."

The two girls nodded before firmly, yet gently, embracing the man in a group hug.

 _***SooP***_

"Teams seven, eight, and nine I have a joint mission for all of you. Suna has requested aid due to rumors of several S-Class missing Ninja entering the country a week ago. This coincides with our information that someone has been actively seeking out and kidnapping Jinchuriki." The Hokage announced to the Ninja assembled.

"No offense Hokage-Sama but shouldn't Team eight not be deployed then? If there is a group hunting Jinchuriki then sending Natsuko and Akane would be placing them in danger along with the Kazekage." Kurenai pointed out.

"Actually Jiraiya, Sensei, and I have spoken about this and we agree that the best way to keep them safe is to keep them on the move. The more stationary they are then the more likely someone would be able to find their location and plan a way to take them. After all if they are indeed a threat to the Kazekage then they would certainly be one to the two of you." Tsunade answered, gesturing towards the two sisters.

Both nodded in understanding.

"Besides with Suna's aid there shouldn't be any risks involved, but just in case be very careful and under no circumstances are either of you two allowed venturing out alone." The blonde commanded in her 'Hokage' voice.

"Okay baa-chan."

"AND QUIT CALLING ME THAT YOU BRAT!"

 _***Omake***_

"Hey there Itachi old buddy old pall, how bout you come out with the boys and have a drink with us eh?" Jiraiya called out in a friendly tone as he put his arm around the Uchiha's shoulders

"Actually I was in the middle of…"

"Nonsense think of it as a direct order." Tsunade replied with a smile while giving out the feeling that it was to be considered as such.

The ANBU sighed and nodded as he watched the two Uzumaki continue on their path, never being the wiser as to his intention of speaking with them.

As the three arrived at an exclusive Ninja bar they were met with quite the welcoming party, including Kakashi, Hayate, Yugao, Kurenai, Anko, Gai, and even the two Sarutobis.

"Ah the man of the hour has arrived I see." Asuma greeted with a friendly smile.

Itachi took the empty seat that was offered, conveniently between Anko and the silver haired Shinobi.

"So Itachi, now that Sasuke is back in the middle of things what are your plans?" Hiruzen inquired as Tsunade began ordering a round of drinks.

"I hadn't thought much about it Hokage-Sama, I suppose I will either rejoin the ANBU immediately or stay as a Jonin to look after the village for a bit. I have missed being stationed locally after all."

Gai nodded in understanding, "A MOST YOUTHFUL GOAL ITACHI-SAN! MAY YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH GUIDE YOU!"

The others winced slightly at the man's shout before turning back to the Sharingan wielder.

"Rumor is that you have taken quite the interest in a certain redheaded Kunoichi eh Itachi?" Jiraiya joked.

But one did not become an ANBU captain without picking up the subtle differences between an interrogation and a friendly conversation.

"I suppose so, she is quite interesting is she not?"

"Oh Akane certainly is interesting." The red eyed Kunoichi agreed with a smile.

"So is this the part where all of you threaten me with bodily harm should I break her heart or take her innocence?" The Uchiha suddenly inquired.

The table fell silent before most of those present burst into laughter.

Now Itachi was legitimately confused, he had never really had much luck in relationships in his life but the few that he did have usually ended up like this. The girl's parents threatening him bodily harm should he sleep with them or what not.

"Oh no Itachi-kun you misunderstand, we aren't here to threaten. Our job is just to let you know who would be cleaning up the mess after Natsuko literally tears you to pieces in the most violent and painful ways possible. And just in case that it _isn't_ clear that would be me and Anko. Meanwhile Kakashi, Gai, and Hayate would remove any witnesses, Kurenai and Yugao would cover up the scene while the Hokage's would change the incident reports to say you fell off a mountain or some such nonsense." The toad Sanin replied with a bright smile.

Itachi merely gulped and nodded in understanding.

***A/N***

It feels a bit odd writing a 'what happened over the last three years' chapter when I personally didn't take a break or put anything between the two sections.

Regardless I hope no one is super upset at the various interactions, or the power up for the Uchiha. Considering their situation I felt that the two would eventually fall into that situation, especially if Sasuke stopped being such a huge prick.

I was originally debating on whether or not to include the Suna mission but I opted to do so since it felt like a nice intro to the Akatsuki, rest assured that after this stuff will be changing from the Manga, hopefully in a good way.

Now that my other story has come to an end I plan on putting more time into this one, after I complete a side project, which might mean two updates a week instead of just one.

Until next time I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!


	22. The Akatsuki Strike

**Sum of our Parts**

The Akatsuki Strike

***I do not own Naruto, after 20ish chapters I thought that would be obvious by now. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"So what's the plan Kurenai-Sensei?" The happy blonde inquired as the twelve Ninja quickly leapt through the forest towards Suna.

"Since the enemy's movements were caught early and we know what their target would be the plan is to rendezvous with the Kazekage and from there prepare a strategy for intercepting their forces away from the village." Came the reply.

The students nodded before speeding up.

"Do we know anything of the enemy's numbers?" The Hyuga heir inquired.

"Only vague reports from Jiraiya's spy network. It seems as though three individuals crossed the border wearing black cloaks with red clouds on them. Judging by their speed we should reach Suna about half a day ahead of them." Kakashi answered.

 _***SooP***_

Two and a half days later they arrived at the village and were quickly greeted and brought into Gaara's office.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice." The red haired boy greeted in his normal monotone.

"GAARA-KUN!" Natsuko squealed in joy as she leapt across the room and tackled the boy in a hug, much to the shock of all those present save for her own team.

"Why didn't the sand protect him?" Kankuro muttered in surprise.

"Would you want to get in the way of a hyperactive blonde and her prey?" Sakura countered.

"Fair enough."

"Alright Natsuko that's enough let the Kazekage up please." Kurenai scolded in an embarrassed tone.

"Awww fine…" The girl happily jumped up before quickly pulling the wide eyed boy to his feet.

"Yes well as I was saying, it is good to see… most of you again." The boy shot a glance at the Uchiha who had been standing in the rear of the group thus far.

"We received your request for aid Kazekage-Sama and as such Konoha has sent our three teams to protect you and Suna in any way we can." Gai confirmed with a thumbs up.

"Make no mistake, I do appreciate the help but you are not here to protect me. I will be on the front line defending my village with my other Ninja forces." The Kage replied with a slight glare.

"No offense Kazekage-Sama but don't you think that is taking a bit of a risk? If they are indeed targeting you then we should move you to a safe and hidden location to further remove you from harm." The silver haired Jonin pointed out.

"If you do know why they are here then you are putting both Natsuko and Akane in harm's way as well. Are you expecting them to hide along with me?"

"Well no but…"

"Then that settles it, I will incorporate you into my bodyguard if you so desire but otherwise the plan remains. We will engage the enemy once they have been located and keep the fighting away from the city."

"A wise choice, I can only assume that with your abilities that this terrain gives you an incredible advantage." Neji noted, earning a nod from the leader.

"Indeed, I will also have Kankuro and Temari to stay in the village to help with…"

"THE HELL YOU WILL!" the Kunoichi in question roared out, "I AM NOT GOING TO SIT AROUND AND DO SHIT WHILE YOU GO AND FIGHT A BUNCH OF S-RANK NINJA WHO ARE TRYING TO KILL YOU!"

"Uhhh yeah what she said bro."

The redhead growled slightly in annoyance before nodding his head in defeat.

"Very well, then we will have…"

Any further commands that the boy might have given were interrupted as the sounds of explosions echoed out across the village.

"What's going on!?" Baki shouted towards a group of Suna Ninja.

"Unknown explosions at the north end of the village sir!"

"It must be them… damnit! I thought we had at least a few hours to spare, they must have sped up their travel the last time we spotted them." Kakashi mumbled as he glanced towards Gaara.

"Have all Suna Ninja begin evacuations of the civilians and keep them out of the fight. I trust we can handle three enemy Ninja with the fifteen of us?"

"Five on one? Sounds good to me, let's show em why you don't mess with the sand!" the puppeteer hollered before leaping out the window with the others.

 _***SooP***_

"I LOVE ART, IT IS SUCH…. A BLAST!" The explosion crazed Deidara shouted happily, before setting off another chain reaction.

"Your art is a fraud Deidara, it is a mere instance of creation whereas mine is eternal as true art should be."

"Ha! Your just jealous because my art gains so much attention while yours is boring!"

"Boring? I create magnificent works of such high caliper that they have been studied for years. Whereas you just continue creating the same piece over and over again. Your art is quantity while mine is quality."

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU..."

As the two continued arguing the third member, thus far being concealed under a hat and mask sighed before noticing the incoming Ninja.

With a slight gesture the two 'artists' were alerted and leapt backwards to observe Gaara appearing in a swirl of sand while the others arrived shortly after.

"Alright which one is your target again?"

"I have been given the task of capturing a Kage! Who was yours again?" the former Iwa Ninja boasted.

"At least I was granted a more difficult opponent than the One Tail. Perhaps our leader knew of your incompetence and only believed you capable of such a thing with TWO supporting members."

"I DON'T NEED YOU OR" the crazed man gestured wildly towards the silent member behind them, "HIS HELP!"

"Then prove it!"

"OH I WILL!" With this declaration the man reached into the large satchels at his side and began molding his clay, thus creating a large bird with which he took to the sky.

"Well that certainly is an interesting technique…" Kakashi muttered before tiny clay insects began raining down… and exploding.

"Take cover! He seems to use some sort of explosive Jutsu." Kankuro shouted out.

"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!" Temari yelled before opening her fan and taking flight towards the other blonde.

"Damnit Temari don't go by yourse…"

"She isn't" Gaara interrupted as he launched himself after his sister using the sand as a tool.

"Uh… anyone else have the power of flight by chance?" Kakashi inquired, earning sweat drops from the others.

"Guess it is thirteen on two then, ALRIGHT AKAMARU LET'S SHOW EVERYONE WHAT WE CAN DO!" The Inuzuka roared out before feeding his companion one of their special pills and preparing for his normal combo.

"He has learned _something_ else in the three years we have been gone correct?" Akane muttered to Hinata.

"He has been training quite a bit with his family and Kakashi-San from what I have been told so… yes?"

 _"Fang Wolf Fang"_

In an instant both of the copies of Kiba spun into buzz saw like positions and shot forward towards the crouched down figure, before they could reach him a series of explosions erupted at their location, breaking the attack and sending them flying into the air. Just before they hit the ground needles shot through the clearing smoke, impacting both.

"Kiba Akamaru!" Sakura shouted, running over to her downed teammates.

As she reached them the pinkette immediately noticed that they were badly shaking on the ground, and seemed to be unresponsive to her presence

"Don't touch the needles, they are poisoned!" Hinata called out to her as she also ran over to begin treatment.

"How do you know?"

"I was taught to recognize the signs of contamination, also senbon tend to be poisoned due to their lack of physical penetrative power." The Hyuga answered in an analytical tone as she began running diagnostic Jutsu over the boy and his dog.

 _***SooP***_

"There is no point in doing that, the boy will be dead within three days at most. My poisons are flawless." The voice sounded out over the area.

"Sakura stay with Hinata and provide defense, intervene if you can but she needs to concentrate to save Kiba." Kakashi ordered before pulling out a kunai.

Curiously he noted that the other member of the Akatsuki had yet to make any move, in fact he had walked over to a nearby bench and sat down rather than stand.

'Is he sitting out because he was ordered to or is he just trying to lower our guard? Could he be a Genjutsu specialist? If so this could provide even more complications.' The Cyclopean Jonin pondered before glancing towards Kurenai and hoping that she would understand the message.

Luckily she did, and began checking everyone for any type of Genjutsu manipulations.

"It looks like the guy is using puppets, no problem we have our own prodigy here for just such an emergency." The remaining sand sibling boasted while he unleashed his own weapons. "Just stay behind these guys and they will absorb any poisoned weapons that he can throw at us. After that we can just…"

The boy was interrupted as a flurry of strange looking birds shot down from the aerial battle and impacting around him, destroying his works and throwing him to the ground in the process.

"Did you learn nothing from that boy's defeat? Just because we are missing Ninja does not mean we have no concept of teamwork." Sasori's puppet seemed to smirk at having defeated another one of their 'opponents'.

"This is looking grim, already two of our number have fallen and it looks like a third has just been knocked out of the fight." Kurenai noted, seeing as Temari's fan had been damaged in an explosion and thus was forced to stick next to her brother, who was having a difficult time protecting them both while attacking the S-Ranked man.

"Right then, we need to take this guy out and then figure out a way to help the Kazekage." Gai muttered before glancing to his team, "Neji you and Lee hold back if what that boy claimed is true then he most likely has other poisoned traps and weapons loaded as well. Kakashi and I will take point to draw his fire while you two flank him. Meanwhile Tenten see if you can get to a position where you can lend ranged support to the Kage."

"Kurenai you should go with her, if this man is a puppeteer then we need to locate the one pulling the strings before we can even attempt any Genjutsu. Sasuke I want you to keep watch for any openings and if you see them, take them. Natsuko you and Akane stay back for now. We still don't know what the third man's capabilities are and we might need support in one battle or another." The silver haired man ordered before he and the Taijutsu master charged forward towards their opponent, who immediately began firing a hail of senbon at the two.

 _***SooP***_

The aerial battle had been getting progressively worse for the sand wielder. After his sister's fan had been damaged he had been forced to concentrate another portion of his resources to protecting her, which meant she had to stay close to him to better maximize protection.

This meant less maneuverability and more raw defense, which was very quickly taking its toll on his Chakra due to the constant barrage of explosions.

What was worse was when their opponent attacked the ground team with a sneak attack, already helping to defeat two of their members and earning him a pissed off glare from the Kage.

The former Iwa Ninja proved his rank though, as he avoided all of Gaara's attempts to attack or trap him, thus proving his own maneuverability was far superior to the sand's.

Another barrage forced him to, once again, strengthen his defenses and earned a concerned look from the blonde.

"Gaara… this is bad, you are running low on Chakra and that freak isn't letting up. We need to knock him down to the ground where we can get aid."

The redhead nodded and sent out another wave of sand, this time targeting the man's bird instead.

Deidara prepared a small flurry of devices, intending on dispersing the attack before he made another attack run.

Just as he threw them out though a hail of kunai impacted them, detonating the weapons early and allowing the sand to grab onto his mount.

Cursing the blonde noticed the smirking faces of the two Kunoichi. Apparently the more experienced one had masked their presence until they could lure him into position where the projectiles could reach him.

As the Kage's attack began ripping away at his own creation Deidara leapt off and formed an owl type of creature in mid air and ascended into the sky, intent on leaving the range of the annoying weapon user.

Cursing at the loss of his art the blonde detonated the original creature, destroying the sand that had been attacking it. The missing Ninja reached into his satchels once more before gathering an extra large amount of his dwindling supply, if the situation kept up he would be out of clay before he could defeat the Jinchuriki.

With a bit of trickery the man created and launched a larger bird towards the sphere that protected the two Suna Ninja, as the creation impacted, and detonated, a smaller creature that had been hidden inside was able to make its way immediately through the small opening created before it was able to seal once more.

A second later the interior shook as the sphere began to fall apart, revealing a badly injured Gaara and Temari falling towards the ground.

 _***SooP***_

"No!" Kankuro shouted from his position next to Hinata and Kiba. He had seen the initial explosion and then the aftermath, now his eyes were fixed solely on the two falling figures of his siblings.

In an instant a red blur dashed past him, leaping between buildings before pushing itself into the sky to catch both of the falling Ninja, allowing it just enough time to dodge the attempt by the former Iwa Shinobi at capturing the Kage.

As Akane hit the ground with Temari and Gaara thrown over her shoulders she took off running, dodging in a strange zigzag pattern to avoid any further retaliation by the flying man.

"DAMNIT, Sasori stop messing around! The brat is getting away!"

"Your problem not mine." The hollow voice called out, just before it fired the gauntlet that had been used as its left hand toward the flanking members of Team nine.

The contraption exploded in the air, showering them with poisoned needles.

It was only Neji's quick thinking that allowed him to pull off a _Kaiten_ a split second before hand and thus shielded both him and Lee from the lethal barrage.

A split second later and Gai appeared above the puppet, landing a powerful axe kick on the back shield and utterly annihilating it.

Fortunately the Jonin was fast, and experienced enough, to dodge backwards immediately, thus avoiding the blade the sprung forth from the debris.

Now revealed Sasori stood and glared at those who had destroyed his precious artwork, before unraveling a scroll and summoning his 'favorite' puppet.

The Third Kazekage.

Less than a second later Kakashi had charged a _Chidori_ and charged full speed towards the new opponent, only to be forced into a dodge seconds later by the _Iron Sand_ that retaliated against him in the form of a dozen spikes.

"Damnit…" The cyclopean Jonin muttered. He had recognized the puppet and wanted to destroy it rather than allow the puppeteer to have time to fully deploy the weapon.

Now the battle would be far more difficult.

"Kakashi, is that the Third Kazekage?" Gai inquired.

"Yes it appears so. Apparently Sasori is able to create puppets out of former people and even use their Jutsu."

"That is a problem indeed. Tenten will be far less effective when she is able to join us now. That also puts a severe limiter on what we are able to do from range."

"If he is as obsessed with poison as we believe then there is also a good chance the stuff is coated in it." the silver haired man muttered.

Meanwhile Sasori had been holding back for long enough, and decided that he was done playing around with the Ninja before him.

 _"Iron Sand Drizzle"_

Moments later the various Ninja were forced onto the defensive as they began a desperate attempt to dodge the barrage of attacks.

Luckily Neji still had his Kaiten and Lee was able to take cover behind it.

Unfortunately Kakashi hadn't realized that their opponent was also aiming for the recuperating Ninja as well, meaning that a flurry of projectiles was now headed towards Hinata, Sakura, Kiba, and Kankuro.

Just before the impact a massive wall of earth rose up, shielding the four Ninja.

"That isn't nice you know… picking on injured people like that." Natsuko scolded as she joined the Shinobi on the battlefield.

"I thought you were instructed to stay back just in case." Kakashi glared slightly at the girl.

"Yep, but then I noticed you guys were getting your butts kicked and so…"

"We were not getting… you know what fine we can certainly use the assistance."

Moments later Lee and Neji rejoined the other three Ninja to reform a strategy.

"Soooo what's the plan now?" the blonde happily asked.

"Uh… well with that 'thing' on his side Sasori is untouchable via any metal, and due to his abilities we can't risk any kind of close range assault meaning…"

Just as Kakashi finished the puppet burst into what appeared to be black flames which slowly began consuming the creature despite its attempts to extinguish them with sand.

 _"Amaterasu"_

Kakashi glanced over at the Uchiha, who was bent over in exhaustion from using the high level technique.

"Are you okay Sasuke?"

"What… does… it…. look… like…" the boy gasped out while trying recover.

"Well Itachi did warn you not to use any high level techniques until you had more Chakra. That was one of the reasons he didn't want to do the activation so early on anyway."

"I'll… be… fine…"

"Okaaaaaaay" with the boy's Sensei gave him an eye smile before returning his attention to Sasori who had now discarded the damaged creature, which was still enflamed at this point.

"How annoying… that was my favorite puppet and you took it from me with such a simple technique. I had been hoping to kill at least a few of you with it before departing."

"Mah mah our apologies Sasori-kun, looks like you will just have to resort to fighting yourself now hm?" Kakashi taunted slightly.

"Oh I don't think that will be necessary." The boy replied before unfurling a large scroll.

 _"Performance of a Hundred Puppets"_

With that the area above the boy was soon covered in soldiers, while the remaining Konoha Ninja looked on in shock.

"And I bet they all wield poisonous weapons too…" Neji muttered in shock.

Natsuko gave a contemplative look before nodding as if to some unheard voice.

"Alright I got this, but it sounds like onee-chan is going to need some help. Since we can't go into close combat maybe Lee and Neji should go and help the others."

"Uhh Natsuko, no offense but even with your training I don't see how you will…"

"Oh don't worry about that ero-Inu."

The man sweat dropped at his new nickname before he glanced over to the two boys.

"Ridiculous we are not going to leave you here. Besides with that many enemies you are going to require assistance." Neji proclaimed, earning a nod from Lee.

"Like I said I got this!" the Uzumaki happily answered before her hands began blurring through various signs.

"Uh Kakashi, any idea what she is…." Gai was interrupted as the girl slammed her hands down onto the ground.

 _***SooP***_

"So Jiraiya, I have been meaning to ask you about your comment regarding Natsuko." Tsunade began as the white haired man went over some spy reports concerning Orochimaru with her.

"Oh, and what would that be hime?"

"You said 'she is an army unto herself' what did you mean by that?"

The man stopped before giving the two Hokages a serious gaze.

They had included Hiruzen due to his knowledge and tactics and the man had been happy to be of use even with his limited health.

"Natsuko has… created a new type of Jutsu."

"Quite impressive, what exactly do you mean though Jiraiya?" the elder Sarutobi inquired.

"Well it is sort of hard to explain… she figured it out one day after she finished up her _Rasengan_ training and began playing around with her elements… then she stumbled upon it."

"What is 'it' exactly Jiraiya?" The blonde pressed.

"She calls it..."

 _***SooP***_

 _"Life Release: Golems of Earth."_

A split second later the various Ninja stood gaping as a series of earth and sand constructs rose out of the ground, taking on humanoid forms as they stood before the girl and opposing the mechanical army.

"Oh, so you seem to have a bit of art in you as well? No matter it pales in comparison to mine. I can turn a person into a sculpture that I wield, you are merely creating brainless forms of sand and dirt…"

"Who are you calling 'brainless' asshole!?"

The various Shinobi turned to the speaker, which was apparently one of the 'golems'

"They can… talk?" Sasuke stuttered out, beyond confused at this point.

"Of course they can. Why wouldn't they be able to?" The summoner inquired with a look of confusion on her face.

Apparently no one had ever told her that 'creating' sentient beings wasn't possible.

 _***SooP***_

"SHE CAN WHAT!?"

"Like I just told you, she can create and animate living beings from the environment." Jiraiya answered while wincing at the volume that had been used.

"The hell do you mean 'create and animate'? That's not even freaking possible!"

The white haired man shrugged towards The Fifth Hokage. "Tell that to the tree she had an hour long conversation with. They talked about the various kinds of birds that would occasionally nest in its branches, the differences between the soil types, and what it was like to wear clothing."

The blonde stared dumbfounded at the man before pulling out a rather large bottle of sake.

"There isn't enough alcohol in the world to deal with this job…" She muttered before drinking straight from the container, while the other two men sweat dropped.

 _***SooP***_

The puppeteer recovered and launched his 'army' against the blonde, whose own forces retaliated.

At first it seemed as if the puppets would win without question, they wielded poisoned blades and seemed to have far greater maneuverability than the animated earth creatures.

That is until one of the golems was impaled by a sword, glanced down in an annoyed fashion, and then proceeded to tear the lifelike doll to pieces with sheer brute strength.

Apparently poison didn't work well on those without internal organs or human bodily functions.

Within minutes the puppets lay in various pieces on the ground, before Natsuko nodded happily and dismissed the golems, allowing them to sink back into the ground and disappear.

It was then that Kakashi noticed how much of the blonde's Chakra it had taken for her to use the Jutsu. Even for someone with absurdly large reserves the girl was noticeably winded following the technique.

'The greatest techniques always seem to have the greatest consequences tied to them.' The cyclops noted before returning his gaze to the annoyed missing Ninja.

"How irritat…."

The former Suna Ninja was interrupted as Neji flashed in front of him, his Byakugan flaring and his hands already midway through a thrust towards his one vulnerable spot.

It might have worked, had Sasori not been a Ninja of such high caliper.

The former Suna Shinobi managed to bring his arms up in a defensive position, and thus turned a potentially life threatening blow into one that merely cracked and damaged his arm.

Unfortunately for the Hyuga this triggered one of his most lethal traps, rupturing one of the many containers of poisonous pressurized gas that the man had stored throughout his body should he be forced into melee combat.

Neji had been startled enough by the burst of chemicals that his survival instincts had not kicked in, thus he took a small breath of the gas which left him on the ground paralyzed.

"Oh that's a pity. When the gas is inhaled it is far faster acting than if injected. He will likely be dead within hours now." The redhead noted in a stoic tone while he observed the Sensei recovering his student and moving the boy to safety.

"Hinata can you…"

"Lay him down next to Kiba, I have managed to stabilize the body against the poison but I still cannot completely cure it. Regardless this will buy us enough time to create an antidote." The Kunoichi replied to the unspoken question as she began working on her cousin next.

 _***SooP***_

Deidara scowled in annoyance. The red haired bitch had so far lead him on a ridiculous chase through the various alleyways of the village, and at one point had met up with another of her team whom she had passed the unconscious Suna Kunoichi to with a passing glance and a shout of 'Lee'.

Not that the former Iwa Ninja gave two craps about the blonde haired whore, but having to carry around two unconscious Ninja had significantly hindered the brat.

Now she was moving, and dodging, far easier than previously.

Even worse he was running out of clay.

The man was brought out of his musings as a flurry of kunai were thrown from the girl, forcing him off of his mount and onto a nearby rooftop.

He had to be especially careful now. Though he doubted the redhead's ability to hit him at range he was fairly certain that with her speed she was a Taijutsu specialist.

Meaning he could not afford to let her get close.

Just as he spotted his two targets on the ground below, and prepared another round of his quickly depleting resource. The missing Ninja found himself unable to move his arms, as he noticed earthen colored vines growing out of the roof on which he stood.

He had heard rumors that one of the Jinchuriki was a Mokuton user but she was supposed to be fighting against Sasori.

Had the other awaked the same power as well? Had she been simply waiting for him to get within range to use her ability to its fullest?

As the man tried valiantly to break free of the ever encroaching vines he never noticed the red eyed woman who seemed to melt out of the floor behind him.

Not until her Kunai found its mark in his spine.

Not until she ended his career of terror.

The man had been too focused on retrieving his target, too focused on his own 'artwork' to notice that Akane had been leading him around in a complicated circle pattern.

Right back to where Kurenai had been waiting.

 _***SooP***_

Sasori growled in annoyance as his body continued falling apart.

Without his large assortment of puppets he had been forced onto the defensive as he was assaulted by both Kakashi and the blonde Jinchuriki.

Even worse was when the other female had arrived and began sending wave after wave of sharp pointy objects at him, sure he couldn't bleed to death and they didn't hurt but he was slowly falling apart and his traps were being damaged in the process.

Any attempts of his at counter attacking were avoided the green wearing Jonin helping his allies dodge.

At this point he noticed the other Jonin arrive, carrying the body of his teammate with her, along with the return of the other green clad fanatic.

This was an even worse situation, sure he was practically immune to Genjutsu at this point but he had been counting on Deidara to kill her and take some of the pressure off of him in the process.

Scowling he glanced over to his third teammate, who had yet to take any offensive actions.

"Maybe you could get off your lazy ass and help a bit?"

The masked man turned and gave a slight shrug before sighing and standing up.

This immediately drew the attention of the others, who watched the man warily.

'Now what? So far we have had to deal with a terror bomber and a legendary puppet master. Maybe this one will be the weakest of the three and we can get off easy?' Kurenai silently prayed as the man began slowly walking towards the weary Konoha Ninja.

"Even though I was told that this was your mission I guess I would be in trouble if I let both of you die huh?" the voice rang out in a calm manner.

"Oh I don't think that is necessary Ninja-Kun. After all you seemed to have been enjoying yourself by just sitting back and relaxing why not continue to do so for a bit longer?" Kakashi eye smiled, hoping that he could get lucky and this man end up being someone who either A. didn't want to fight or B. was too lazy to do so.

"Yeah but all good things must come to an end right?" The masked man replied.

"So you are challenging our youth are you? WELL THEN STRANGER TELL US THE NAME OF OUR NEWEST OPPONENT WHO WE SHALL TEST IN RETURN!"

The man seemed to glance in Gai's direction for a moment before shaking his head.

"I guess that would be the 'proper' thing to do eh? Alright well I don't have any really cool nickname like the others but I guess they call me The 'Kamikaze'."

Kakashi felt like throwing up.

'What the hell is _he_ doing here!?' the man swore mentally.

The other Jonin's reactions were the same, but the younger generation looked on in confusion.

"What does that mean Sensei?" Sasuke muttered out.

"The Kamikaze was a rumor that started back in the Third Shinobi War. He is said to be a Kage level Ninja who did not originate in a Ninja village, instead he was a wanderer. The reason he is so famous is that his control over the wind is said to be the equivalent of The Second Hokage's control over water."

The Uchiha's jaw dropped, everyone in Konoha had heard about the Senju's absurdly powerful water Jutsu and if this man was his equivalent…

"Is that what they say about me? I'm quite honored, but I do have a real name after all…"

The man tossed his straw hat to the ground, revealing spikey blonde hair.

The mask that sheltered him from the harsh sand was likewise removed revealing piercing blue eyes and a face that reminded Kakashi of someone who had passed away long ago.

"No… that's not possible…" the silver haired man muttered out in shock as he took a step backwards.

"My actual name is Arashi Namikaze."

***Omake***

A certain giggly blonde Kunoichi sat on the grass covered ground.

Across from her sat a beautiful girl who appeared only a few years older. Her skin was the color of pure snow, her hair red like the deepest crimson.

If one looked closer they would notice her eyes slitted in a strange vertical fashion.

If one did not look very closely the nine luxurious fox tails that flowed out behind her would be even more obvious.

The two sat in silence, well as silent as Natsuko could be as she swayed back and forth happily.

"So Natsuko-chan…"

"How about we do introductions?"

The woman blinked at the younger girl in confusion for a moment. They already knew each other so why would they…

"My name is Natsuko Uzumaki! I like my sister, Kyuu-chan, Hinata-chan, Kurenai-Sensei, Anko-chan, Ramen, the outdoors…." The list continued on for around three minutes until she finished.

"… and ramen! I dislike how long it takes to cook ramen, anyone who tries to hurt my friends or family, and people who hate for no reason. My dream is to become Hokage!"

The Kyuubi blinked a few times, trying to process all of the information that had just been thrown at her before nodding and beginning her own introduction.

"My name is Kura but you can call me Kyuu-chan if you wish. I enjoy nature, Natsuko-chan… and Akane-chan" the woman finished with after a pause. Sure she wouldn't call the girl her _best friend_ but her devotion to her sister was admirable and she could be ferocious in combat. Both things the Biju respected.

"I dislike those who try and control others and my dream is to be made whole again."

This time it was Natsuko's turn to look confused.

"What do you mean Kyuu-chan?"

"Well half of my essence is sealed inside your sister, and although I don't enjoy the idea of incorporating the hatred it contains back into my mind I feel somewhat empty without that part of my essence."

"Ooooh."

"So what do we do now Natsuko-chan?"

"Well I was thinking we could make some ramen and eat together!"

"Of course…"

The blonde took on a pouting expression.

"Are you not hungry Kyuu-chan?"

A devious smirk appeared on the woman's face as she quickly vanished and appeared behind the blonde, wrapping her in a tight hug while breathing softly next to the girl's ear.

"Oh I am Natsuko-chan… but I am hungry for a bit more than just… ramen…"

The Kunoichi whimpered out a bit as the Biju started placing soft kisses up and down her exposed neck.

"Kyuu-chan, we shouldn't…"

"Why not?" the redhead questioned as she continued teasing the girl.

"Because onee-chan said it was something she sacrificed for." The blonde managed to mumble out, her heartrate continuing to skyrocket

Immediately the Kyuubi stopped and separated herself from the younger girl, looking a bit shocked at that statement.

"I'm sorry… onee-chan said it was important to only do that type of stuff with someone that you truly love… because she lost her chance to give it to someone…"

"I… you're right Natsuko-chan it is. Maybe someday we can share that experience, but if that happens I want you to consider something as well."

"O-okay, wh-what is that?" The blonde stuttered out, still trying to calm herself down from the short, yet intense, emotional barrage.

"I want you to try and convince your sister to join us sometime. I know it may sound a bit strange but I don't want her to go through life never having any type of pleasant physical experience. No one should have to live like that and I think she might be more comfortable if you were at least here to comfort her."

 _***SooP***_

Elsewhere Jiraiya's head shot up from his notebook full of ideas as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"THERE IS A GOD!"

"JIRAIYA WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?" Tsunade shouted in rage as she punched through the wall of the hot spring that the pervert was hiding behind.

***A/N***

And… BOOM _Cliffhanger-no-Jutsu!_ I actually was dreading this chapter until I started writing it… then I had… a blast! Get it? cause of Deidara? Haha…. Anyways…

So I will probably get some upset readers because of the Akatsuki being killed off so early on… but they seemed to die off in the Manga pretty darn fast as well, plus there are considerably more high ranking Ninja being sent against them this time, and no bullshit 'convenience' trap that ties half of them down in off screen battles.

Initially I was having some trouble replacing Itachi on the Akatsuki. At first it was going to be a Hyuga but that just seemed kinda dull, so I started going through other cool Ninja concepts.

Eventually I stumbled upon the glorious solution that will be further revealed next chapter.

Also that was a surprisingly long omake, but it was a bit of a request so I enjoyed writing it. Might expand upon it later who knows.

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!


	23. Divine Wind

**Sum of our Parts**

Divine Wind

***I do not own Naruto, after 20ish chapters I thought that would be obvious by now. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

'N-N-Namikaze!?' Again Kakashi mentally swore. Did Kami just decide that all of his bad luck should hit at once? The Hokage must have just won the lottery back in Konoha if he was stuck dealing with this in Suna.

The Cyclopean Jonin took a glance around at his remaining 'forces'. So far the only ones who were combat ready and at strength were Kurenai, Gai, Akane, Lee, Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata.

He was starting to feel drained with his prolonged use of the _Sharingan_ as well as his use of Jutsu against Sasori.

Natsuko, though winded, was still combat ready. Unlike Sasuke who was barely standing after his Jutsu.

Unfortunately Sasori was still functional as well, and their newest opponent was completely uninjured.

The only hope they had was to take out Sasori in a quick blitz, with as few of members as possible, while the others held off until they could all gang up on the last man.

That and praying to whoever was listening that the Kamikaze hadn't grown even more powerful since the war.

After a few coded signals the remaining Ninja nodded before splitting up into two teams.

Lee, Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata would have to deal with Sasori while tending to the injured as best they could.

Meanwhile the Sensei, Akane, and Natsuko would hold off the remaining man.

 _***SooP***_

Lee shot forward towards his opponent, moving fast enough that he appeared to be a blur to the outside world.

He aimed a quick punch towards the man's one vulnerable spot, after being told by Hinata what the situation was.

Sasori had seen it coming and raised his blades in a protective shell, forcing the boy to dodge to the side at the last moment and avoid being skewered.

Next he tried a low sweep, hoping that he could at least drop the puppet to the ground and increase his vulnerability.

Unfortunately the 'final' form of Sasori was even more loaded with traps than the others had been, and a compartment opened up on his waist to launch a grouping of needles at the boy.

Luckily Lee was one of the fastest members of the Chunin force, and thus was able to dodge even at close range.

The Taijutsu specialist back flipped away, allowing the distraction to give Tenten an unguarded target for a volley of kunai with explosive tags.

With an almost unnatural speed the redhead dodged out of the path, causing the explosives to go off without any damage.

He retaliated with another group of senbon, this time at the ranged combatant.

A wall of water rose up in front of her, trapping the poisoned weapons inside, courtesy of Hinata.

"This isn't working, he is too dangerous in close combat to hit anywhere _except_ for his core and his blades protect that, and anything besides a devastating ranged blow won't put him down." Tenten analyzed while gritting her teeth.

"Hinata, go help the others. I will stay here with the injured since Genjutsu won't work on this guy anyways." Sakura urged.

The Hyuga gave one glance back at the injured Shinobi before nodding and stepping forward with her teammates.

"We need to start removing his weapons…" Tenten muttered before glancing to her two functioning colleagues.

"I have a most youthful idea!" Lee replied with a smile.

After a whispered explanation the boy charged forward, as he did so his bandages unraveled in an attempt to try and wrap the man up, or even better to engage him with the _Lotus_. As Lee reached his target the man slashed forward to disrupt the attack, earning a grin as the Taijutsu specialist slipped under his arm and put the man into a full nelson headlock, thus exposing his core.

Tenten responded with a smirk and had already launched a flurry of kunai.

Unfortunately the man still had a functioning spear trap in his stomach, which repelled the blades and impacted the Chunin in her leg as she dodged out of the way.

With a sick grin the man spun, preparing to smash the Kunoichi into a nearby building, only for Lee to break his hold and pull his teammate into a protective hold, taking the majority of the damage himself.

Though it saved the girl's life the spandex clad boy was seriously damaged from the impact, having been launched through two houses from the force.

Just as Sasori turned he realized his last folly.

He had forgotten about the Hyuga.

Hinata was already within melee range as the man shifted to avoid her attack on his single vulnerable spot.

Hinata was expecting it. She knew that even with her training she would never be able to deliver a strong enough attack with normal Juken to defeat the man.

Luckily she had an ace up her sleeve.

 _"Rolling Thunder: Five points of destruction"_

The Kunoichi reached out with a single hand, and tapped five points on the man's chest using only her fingertips. To anyone not directly involved her 'technique' would have seemed almost like a few feather light touches, almost like the caress of a nervous lover.

An instance later the girl leapt back.

A moment following that the man's mechanical body exploded into debris and mechanical parts, utterly annihilating any possibility for him to mount any type of attack or defense, much less be recognized as anything more than a pile of scrap.

His core was shredded as the various weapons and tools burst outwards in a shower of shrapnel.

The poison that had been stored in his body dissipated harmlessly into the air.

The life of 'Sasori of the Red Sand' had finally been ended.

 _***SooP***_

Gai had never been one for waiting, especially when a chance to 'one up' his rival was involved, that and the lives of his students hung in the balance of him ending this fight quickly.

Leaping into action the Taijutsu master crossed the battlefield in a fraction of a second, his fist already in a backhand motion towards his opponent's face.

Unfortunately he hadn't been aware of the 'bloodline' ability that all Namikaze seemed to possess, ultra fast reflexes and reaction times.

The blonde haired man had easily seen the attack coming, and despite being impressed with his adversary's speed, ducked under the attempted strike.

Just as Gai's own senses told him that his blow had not connected, and he began his follow up, a blast of concentrated wind threw him to the side and through the wall of a nearby structure. The impact was had been strong enough to cave in the roof, thus removing the man from combat for the moment.

Less than a second later the Namikaze was forced to dodge backwards from a barrage of earth spikes, courtesy of the younger blonde.

As the man landed he quickly spun on one heel and slammed his fist into the Genjutsu mistress' face. Thus revealing her position, that had been previously been completely concealed by her own abilities.

'Damnit! I thought for sure that would work, how the hell did he see through Kurenai's illusion?' Kakashi questioned as he watched the woman be launched across the area from the Chakra empowered attack.

If the silver haired man was lucky she would only be temporarily stunned and not knocked out of combat completely.

Gai had emerged from the rubble a second after the woman landed, and rushed forward to distract their joint opponent.

Meanwhile Akane sprinted from behind, her sword already unsheathed as she prepared to split the man in two.

Everyone present gaped when the blade was stopped from cutting into his arm by what appeared to be slight wisps of wind surrounding the man.

Gai was behind a split second later, only to receive a damaging kick to the stomach as the man's abilities allowed him to balance on one foot in ways that shouldn't be possible.

The Namikaze grabbed the Genin's sword bearing arm, and pulled in her for a face strike, only to be impressed as she managed to barely dodge at the last second, her own reflexes having been heightened with all of her training.

It did not prevent his considerable experience from landing the next elbow strike to her chest, or the open palm to her face, throwing her backwards from the force.

Any follow up was prevented when he was forced to dodge a series of wooden spikes that had been launched from the girl's sister.

 _***SooP***_

Kakashi watched on in horror as this man began tearing his team apart. Gai was widely accepted to be the greatest Taijutsu master alive and even he had yet to land a single blow on the man.

If the cyclopean Jonin didn't know any better he would swear the man was a Hyuga, with three hundred and sixty degree vision.

Something had to be done or else they would lose this match, even if the others managed to take down Sasori.

With Sasuke still recovering it looked as though Kakashi was the only functioning Ninja who could wield the natural advantage to wind.

And wield it he did.

 _***SooP***_

A massive fireball roared forth from the Sharingan implanted man, tearing apart the ground as it approached the Namikaze.

Kakashi had just noticed man sinking down to his ankles in the ground, a byproduct of Natsuko's intervention no doubt.

It looked as if the attack would connect, and at the very least deal a devastating blow to the man, maybe even force his retreat.

Imagine the former ANBU's shock when, with a wave of his hand, the sphere of death began to shrink and eventually fizzled out long before it reached him.

"Don't you think I realize that wind has a disadvantage against fire? The interesting thing about this 'relationship' is that fire is dependent on air. It is child's play to create a vacuum in front of the attack, thus robbing any fire Jutsu you can use of its power." The Akatsuki member called out in a lecturing tone.

Kakashi wondered if the man realized that what he had done had never been mastered to the degree in which he used it. Sure there had been rumors of Suna Ninja using such techniques before but never to this extent, and certainly not without hand signs.

This time the Jonin would not escape without retaliation.

A slight gesture from the blonde and Kakashi could see his death, yet with exhaustion setting in after that last overpowered technique, he knew that dodging was impossible.

He was only faintly aware of his best friend pushing him out of the path, and taking the blade of concentrated air instead.

 _***SooP***_

Blood poured from the over enthusiastic man's mouth as the attack dug into his chest, leaving what appeared to be a massive sword wound diagonally across his torso.

Luckily Gai's release of several _Chakra Gates_ had dampened the attack enough that it hadn't damaged any internal organs.

To the former ANBU everything that happened next was a blur.

He remembered shouting to Hinata for medical attention.

He remembered the rage building as he instinctively drew upon his most powerful technique.

The journey across the battlefield was missing from his memory.

The shock at watching his opponent _catch_ his fabled _Chidori_ in his hand like it was nothing… that image was burned into his mind forever.

Was this how his Genin had felt when they went up against him during the 'bell test'? This feeling of hopelessness and despair, the instinct that roared in your mind of disbelief, that what your senses were telling you was not possible.

Did they too feel as if there was no victory, that no matter what they did, no matter how hard they tried or pushed themselves that their opponent stood, not on a platform above them, but rather on a mountain that could not be climbed?

Regardless, Kakashi now knew that victory against this man wasn't possible. He had always known that there was a gap in strength between ANBU and Kage… but he had never imagined it to be this great. Were all the Hokages this powerful? Had he truly never seen what his Sensei was capable of?

Sure he had heard the war stories, tales of him absolutely decimating entire groups of Shinobi by himself, but the silver haired man had always thought them to be hyped up with propaganda and trying to make the man look stronger for future conflicts.

But this… this man before him wasn't even human.

Kakashi's mind was forced back to the present as a powerful burst of, what he could only assume to be wind, despite it feeling just as solid as rock, impacted his stomach.

Bile threatened to spew from his mouth as he was launched backwards across the battlefield, and came to a skidding halt next to his friend.

It was now that he was truly able to see the extent of Gai's damage, all taken from a technique that hadn't even required hand signs. All taken to protect him.

 _***SooP***_

By the time Kurenai had managed to recover the situation she beheld looked hopeless. The only ones still standing were her three students, Sakura, and Tenten. If they all managed to survive this she would be rubbing the situation in every Shinobi's face for the next year.

Hinata and Sakura were trying to stabilize Gai and Kakashi.

Tenten stood with the two Uzumaki sisters, staring down the man who had yet to receive a scratch from their combined efforts.

The Jonin was just close enough that she could hear Akane call out to their opponent.

"It's not sensing you use the air don't you?"

Kurenai was confused, what the hell was the redhead talking about? Whatever it was caused the man to smile slightly.

"Your good kid, if you weren't a Jinchuriki yourself I would offer to take you and your sister along to join us. You are the first one to realize that after just one fight."

"What is he talking about Akane?" Tenten muttered out in confusion.

"The reason he could see through the Genjutsu and react to every threat despite the angle. He is able to sense disturbances made when objects move through the air. That's why no one can sneak up on him, quite impressive."

Kurenai's jaw dropped, for any Ninja to perfect such a technique was absurd… for a _Genin_ to pick up on it after only a few minutes of fighting was frightening.

"Let's see how well that air shield you have surrounding you can absorb hits."

An instant later the redhead's challenge was realized as she charged forward at near Jonin speeds, slashing towards the man who easily pushed the blade aside without effort.

His eyes widened a moment later as the Kunoichi adopted a different stance, one where she pulled the handle back behind her and held the sword in a stabbing motion.

This time the man dodged backwards, only to be forced into another dodge as the girl came at him again.

The reason for his reluctance was realized the first time her technique came into contact with a solid object, a wall that he leapt in front of.

Her blade cleaved through the solid stone as if it were made of paper, causing the house it was supporting to partially collapse in on itself in the process.

"Looks as if your technique can only dissipate force, not stop it completely. Which means any type of heavy piercing blow will tear through it… and you." The girl analyzed.

"Very good, but the question is can you hit me with your technique?" The Akatsuki taunted.

Akane's eyes narrowed before leaping back to where Natsuko was catching her breath.

"You got a plan onee-chan?"

"Yeah what do you need Akane?" Tenten chimed in.

"You won't be fast enough to hit him Tenten-san, the only way you might have is explosives which he can redirect. It is the same situation as when you battled Temari-Sama."

"So help Sakura and Hinata?" the girl asked in a somewhat defeated tone.

"Keeping the others alive and getting them recovered is just as important. There is no guarantee that my plan will work anyways."

Tenten nodded before running back to the fallen warriors.

"So?"

The redhead sighed, slightly annoyed at what she was going to have to say to her sister.

"Alright fine… let's do the _Uzumaki Barrage_."

"YAY!" the blonde happily squealed.

 _***SooP***_

"Such bullshit… I'm still getting mocked because of my attack names during the Chunin exams and they can still name things like that…" Kiba muttered out.

"Yeah… and Natsuko is _still_ adorable." Sakura added in a teasing tone.

"And Akane?"

"Are you really going to make fun of Akane?"

"Good point."

 _***SooP***_

 _"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_ The excitable blonde called out, filling the entire area with her patented technique.

"You do realize that none of those will be even able to hurt me correct? I can probably just walk past them without even…" The Namikaze was interrupted as the horde began charging forward with a battle cry.

The cloaked man sighed before casually walking towards one.

It was only his survival instincts that caused him to dodge at the last second from a flanking maneuver.

Somehow the redhead had hidden her movements, or his senses were being clogged by the blonde's _Bunshin_.

"Clever girl…" The man chuckled before he threw a vicious punch towards the girl's back.

She vanished in a flash of crimson before he could even make contact.

"How the…"

Once more he was forced to leap backwards, again the redhead coming from the side to attack him.

'How the hell is she doing this!? No one is _this_ fast! No one can move without disturbing the air!'

Another blow of his was dodged as the girl appeared next to a group of clones, who once more charged forward, thus blocking the man's view.

 _***SooP***_

As the cycle of dodging and attacking continued Kakashi could only look on in shock, he hadn't believed it when the redhead had first used the technique but now he was sure.

She was using the technique made famous by his own Sensei.

The _Hiraishin_

He wasn't surprised she could use it after all she had gone on a three year training session with a Sanin, and the man who taught the Fourth Hokage.

No, what was surprising was that the girl hadn't through any Kunai, or placed any seals. She seemed to be teleporting around the area without anything guiding her movements, at least none that Kakashi could pick up on.

 _***SooP***_

"Enough!" The criminal roared out, he had already been injured several times due to this new technique and had yet to lay a hand on the girl.

Plus the _Bunshin_ were beginning to annoy the hell out of him.

With a single hand sign the man summoned forth a massive tornado to spiral outwards from him, tearing the clones, and surrounding area, apart.

After the ability subsided he spotted the redhead standing next to her sister, apparently unharmed.

This time he was going on the offensive.

Just as the blonde formed the hand sign once again he made a slight gesture of his own, prompting the redhead to push her sister from the path of the attack, and receiving a devastating injury instead.

"ONEE-CHAN!"

It was over, the blonde was exhausted, and without the redhead's interference there were no more Ninja standing capable of defeating him.

He would take the two Jinchuriki, locate the Kazekage, and then leave the village.

Arashi nodded at his plan and began walking towards the two girls.

 _***SooP***_

He had to do something. Too many times had he let them down, turned a blind eye towards their suffering while he was busy locked in his own depression. Too many times had they been ignored and tormented simply because no one would stand up and say 'enough'.

Not this time though. Even if it killed him Kakashi Hatake was not going to stand by and watch as the two innocent girls before him suffered.

"W-wait!" the cyclopean Jonin was surprised that he was even able to call out that loudly.

"Listen if you are going to say some idle threat or give a speech about…" The Kamikaze replied in a bored tone.

"Have you ever encountered a woman by the name of 'Tsunade Senju'?"

The man paused, before a spark of recognition entered his eyes.

"Blonde, brown eyes, diamond on her forehead, wicked temper, huge…" The Namikaze made a gesture to imply the size of her 'assets'.

Kakashi chuckled painfully and nodded.

"Yeah we had an 'encounter' a couple decades ago, why?"

"I knew your son."

That brought the criminal to a wide eyed halt.

"M-my son?"

"What, you think that 'Minato Namikaze' was given your last name for shits and giggles?"

"There are other Namikazes, maybe she just…"

"Sought out the other members of your near extinct clan to sleep with them?"

The blonde's mind was going through information so fast he was developing a headache.

"Those two girls… they are your granddaughters."

This time the man took a step back in shock.

'Granddaughters?' It was emotionally taxing enough to learn he had a son that was a war hero, a Hokage, and then had died for his village. But to learn that two of those he was hunting to eliminate were his own relatives…

He had to think about this, had to get away for a bit.

"This is a onetime deal, next time we meet don't expect me to walk away." The blond man replied loud enough that those present could hear him.

Sparing one last glance towards the two young girls the man promptly disappeared in a _Sunshin_.

 _***SooP***_

"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" Temari asked, her gaze drifting to her younger brother, who was busy being fiercely hugged by Natsuko.

"Yes, now that we have confirmed the Akatsuki have left Suna we need to be heading back towards Konoha to report to our Hokage. Besides I'm sure Kazekage-Sama would like to be able to move again." Kurenai answered with a slight frown.

"Actually I think he secretly enjoys the attention and the physical contact. He certainly did not have much of either growing up, especially not in a positive sense."

"That seems to be the norm concerning people like them unfortunately. I am glad to see that you two have recovered, and we would like to thank you for providing facilities to use for our own recovery."

The blonde nodded.

"It is the least we can do. It is a miracle that the only ones who lost their lives in this battle were two enemy Ninja. Also I would like to thank you for Kankuro, he has been locked up in his 'work room' ever since you gave us all of Sasori's remains and puppets."

The Jonin smiled warmly towards the girl, "Well he was from Suna originally so we figured it would be best if you took care of the remains. I am not sure what the Hokage will want done with Deidara's body, however." The woman finished, while gesturing towards the storage scroll that had been used to secure the body.

"Who knows, we sure as hell don't want it though. Take care and be sure to come visit us some time!"

"We will, and next time I'll make sure to tell Shikamaru that his girlfriend is lonely." Natsuko happily replied, having been pried off of the red haired boy and rejoining the other Konoha Ninja.

"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about…."

The Uzumaki merely giggled before skipping off, with her sister following closely behind and the rest of the group moving to catch up.

"Quite an interesting pair aren't they?" Temari muttered out as her brother walked up to stand next to her.

"Indeed, one is like me and the other is quite opposite… very interesting."

Temari gave her brother a knowing glance.

"Very strong as well,"

"Yes they are."

"And brave" the Suna Kunoichi continued, while her brother shifted to automatic responses.

"Quite"

"Pretty cute too."

"Very much so… wait what?"

The wind user just giggled before walking back to find her other brother.

 _***SooP***_

"Hinata-san,"

"Yes Neji-Sama?"

The man seemed to wince a bit at the use of honorifics, he had long ago picked up on Akane's use of formalities and since he had begun training with Hinata he had encouraged her not to use them when they were away from other Hyuga.

"I was curious as to the technique you had used to end your battle so… decisively. I was not aware that you had developed another Taijutsu style."

"Yeah Hinata-chan that was totally awesome!" The blonde Uzumaki praised from nearby.

"Th-thank you Natsuko-chan, I had help creating it from Hokage-Sama during our training sessions. It takes a great deal of control to do so, which means that I am currently limited to only using one hand at a time. Trying with two would tax my control to its absolute limit."

Neji nodded in understand, "regardless, to be able to end a fight with only five light strikes is truly a terrifying ability. With your medical skills and improvements in Ninjutsu I am curious as to why you are still listed as a Chunin."

"Hokage-Sama wishes me to gain more experience before moving up to the next rank. This was the first time I had used the new style in anything more than practice since we couldn't use it on a living person. We still aren't sure what the exact affect would be against an opponent."

"It seemed as though the living portion of your opponent was unharmed, save for the shrapnel that impacted him. I wonder if that is because you struck the puppet portion or if it is due to something else." Akane analyzed.

"I'm not sure. What I do not understand is how you two are not Jonin yet though, with all of the skill and ability you showed during our matches I would think the promotion would be obvious." Hinata replied, directing her gaze to the two sisters.

"We were gone a really long time Hinata-chan, besides I think you deserve the promotion more than we do." The blonde happily praised.

"I do not feel as if I do. I have trained for almost all day every day since you two left and I feel even inferior than before those three years. I do not think I will ever catch up…"

"You're wrong." Akane said with finality, "You are far stronger than you believe. Most people do not have the strength to push themselves as hard as you have. Without you in this mission we could have lost well over half of our group, something that neither Natsuko or I could have prevented. You are quite amazing Hinata."

The Hyuga Kunoichi turned bright red at the praise, forcing herself not to pass out in happiness.

"That does raise an interesting question though Akane, what was that technique you used against the Kamikaze?" Kakashi inquired with an eye smile.

"Namikaze clan secret."

All of the Ninja sweat dropped at how quickly the girl remarked.

"Mah mah, surely you can trust me though right?" The eye smile seemed to get even bigger.

"We would… but the mask makes you seem untrustworthy, sorry Kaka-kun. Maybe if you showed everyone what you were hiding then…" Natsuko chirped in.

"You know what that's alright. I think I can figure out how you did it without any help. Thanks though."

Gai's laughter echoed through the woods.

 _***SooP***_

"I still can't believe how strong they have gotten, even with the improved Sharingan, intense training from both Kakashi and my brother I still feel miles behind them in terms of ability."

"Think about how I feel teme, I got my ass knocked out before anyone else did."

"Well Kiba that is because you charged an S-Rank Shinobi head first before seeing what they were capable of… what did you expect?" Sakura scolded.

"To kick ass, take names, and chew bubble gum?"

Even Akamaru seemed to roll his eyes at the boy's reply.

"Don't feel too bad Sasuke. Remember you also missed out on training during your 'evaluations'. Plus once your Chakra reserves increase you will be able to tap into more of the Uchiha clan techniques which give you a definitive edge from what I have heard." The Sensei answered, his face stuck in his orange book.

Sasuke seemed to ponder this for a second before shaking his head.

"Even if that is true I wouldn't count those. Those two have no clan secrets to learn and improve upon. They have no one to train and tutor them in their most powerful abilities. As ridiculous as it sounds I actually hope that I never exceed them. I think I would feel guilty if that were the case." Sasuke replied, while staring into the campfire.

"Well at the rate those two are increasing I don't think you have anything to worry about Sasuke. Mokuton is said to be able to trump even the most powerful of Uchiha and Akane was the only one among us who even injured a Kage level Ninja. By the time you truly master your abilities they will probably be working on something even more absurd." Kakashi replied.

"Plus once I master all of the amazing Inuzuka clan techniques I will be better than you as well teme, so if you feel the need to get your ass kicked again I will be happy to do so."

"Remind me of what happened during our last spar kibbles?"

"You got a lucky shot asshole."

"I punched you in the face…"

"AND IT WAS LUCKY!"

"Shut up both of you, or else the next time you spar I am going to join in…" the pinkette threatened.

Both boys shivered at the memory of when Kakashi had all three do a training spar, and forbid Sasuke from using his _Sharingan_. Both boys were still trying to get the memories of her Genjutsu created Yaoi strip club from their minds.

 _***SooP***_

"So Akane-chan… any chance you could give me and Hinata a hint at how your technique works?" Kurenai inquired lightly, though secretly she was hoping for a full blown explanation. What she had witnessed was still amazing to her.

Natsuko gave a hopeful smile to her sister, who sighed and gave a confirming nod.

"I'll show you!" with that the bubbly blonde began pulling down her pants.

Hinata's nose erupted in blood, which she barely managed to cover in time.

"N-Natsuko!"

"What? I was just going to show you this…" The Uzumaki revealed a small seal tattooed on her lower abdomen.

Kurenai recognized it as the _Hiraishin_ seal from the Jonin files. Suddenly the secret hit her.

"You weren't teleporting randomly, you were teleporting to her _Bunshin."_ the woman gasped out.

The redhead nodded.

Shock filled the red eyed Kunoichi. The solution was so obvious and yet so clever that she wouldn't have even thought of it unless it had been explained. For two 'Genin' to create such a technique was mind boggling.

"D-do you h-have a-any other s-seals N-Natsuko-chan?" Hinata stuttered out, praying to every God she could think of to make the next one just a bit lower than the last.

"Sure, onee-chan also gave me this one."

The girl pulled up her shirt to reveal her bra, and another tattoo located directly above her heart.

Hinata fainted.

"Oh no Hinata-chan!"

The Team eight Sensei let out a deep sigh. She had been hoping that the Hyuga would have grown out of that by now…

"She will be fine Natsuko-chan, I am curious as to what that one does though."

"It is a minor diagnostic seal. Basically it informs me if the bearer is ever close to death, which allows me to teleport in and remove them from danger if need be. I have also put seals in various places throughout Konoha and the elemental nations should we ever need to go on the run." Akane answered.

"That is very impressive, any chance you could put those two on me should I ever need them?"

"Of course Kurenai, I was going to offer to do so when I had time anyway, I wonder if Hinata…"

The girl immediately shot up, wide awake with only one thing going through her head.

Akane's hands, slowly and deliberately brushing seals onto her body, lightly caressing every inch of her creation… in any place the Hyuga girl wanted…

Hinata fainted again.

 _***SooP***_

"Well we're home" Kurenai called out to the various members of their group.

"I need to get home my mom is going to be worried if I don't."

"We can go with you kibbles after all I am sure that your mom and sister will want to hear about your 'legendary exploits' during the mission, specifically the parts where you spent with your ass on the ground." Sasuke taunted as he began making his way towards the Inuzuka compound, with Kiba chasing him and shouting profanities and threats the entire time.

"I'm going to go make sure they don't kill themselves. Hopefully we can have a girl's night and catch up soon." The last part was directed towards all of the younger Kunoichi before the pinkette ran off towards her teammates.

"Team nine! WE HAVE TRAINING TO DO!"

"GAI SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI SENSEI!"

"I'm going to go relax and take a bath…" Tenten muttered, while walking off towards her house.

Neji did his best to ignore the two hugging members of his team, until he was nudged by Natsuko.

"What are you waiting for, an invitation? Go join her!"

The boy stuttered for a few moments before subtly walking off to follow his teammate.

"Ummm Akane-chan, is there any chance we could do the… you know… sealing now?" Hinata shyly inquired, trying to keep her blush down.

"Of course Hinata, Natsuko why don't you come with us, we can catch up while doing it."

Hinata _almost_ fainted, before giving a rapid nod and walking with the two sisters towards the Senju compound.

"That means the two of us are going to be doing the mission repor…"

"Sorry Kakashi, I promised Anko that we would meet up after the mission to give her all the details. She promised me quite the beating if I didn't immediately tell her what happened with her 'sisters'." Kurenai replied before leaping off.

Kakashi glanced at the only two remaining Shinobi in the clearing, who were still hugging, and gave a deep sigh. He was already dreading having to make this report to the Hokage.

***Omake***

"Since Kurenai-Sensei is still unconscious that makes you the highest ranking individual Hinata." Akane noted.

"Yeah Hinata-Taichou, so what are our orders?"

The Hyuga girl blushed, so many thoughts ran through her head… so many possibilities… so many… abuses of power.

"W-well w-we sh-should…" The girl cleared her throat, before taking a deep breath and settling her nerves.

"First things first I need to ensure you are both recovering from your battle wounds."

"Hai Taichou!" The blonde quickly began undressing, until she was left in only her bra and panties.

Akane had followed, with a bit less enthusiasm.

Hinata was glad that they were alone in a room provided by the Kazekage.

Her eyes roamed over Akane's toned form, taking in the muscles, and even the scars that decorated her skin.

Natsuko was considerably less fit, but had a far curvier figure.

The Hyuga gulped.

"Taichou, are you injured at all?" Akane inquired.

Hinata's eyes widened to epic proportions.

"You seem tired after all the healing you did Taichou, do you need help undressing?" Natsuko innocently inquired.

Hinata nodded almost instantly.

The two sisters walked over and began to slowly undress the girl, their hands gliding over her skin in an almost sensual way.

Once that was complete Hinata realized what the next step _had_ to be.

"Seeing as how you are both recovering nicely I believe we sh-should take a sh-shower… you know to make sure all the s-sand is clear so that we do not track any into bed…"

The two girls nodded before they began making their way to the private shower, while slipping the remains of their clothing off as they walked. The Hyuga's gaze was glued to their bodies as they did so.

Hinata just about fainted when she heard the water and Natsuko to call out if she was joining them.

The Kunoichi nearly sprinted to the private bath room, and peered through the concealing steam to see…

Hinata bolted up in her sleeping bag, before glancing around in a confused fashion.

They were still on their way back to Konoha, Kurenai was perfectly fine, and she had never been put in charge.

Hinata nodded, as if confirming these facts, before silently, and methodically, making her way out of the team tent and down a nearby path.

She navigated the darkness perfectly until she came to the nearby lake, where she stuck her head in the water to muffle her scream of frustration.

***A/N***

Damn that was a fun chapter to write!

Hopefully no one was disappointed with the developments that our favorite team has made in their three years. I was trying to make all three seem badass while not overpowering them too much.

The sword technique that Akane used was based on Saito from Rurouni Kenshin.

Also it was fun having my original character kick the hell out of all of them.

More drama to come in next week's chapter, especially regarding the 'mission report'.

I feel a little bad with what I put our favorite Hyuga through… but she's just so much fun to tease…

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the story so far, I know I have been!


	24. Downpour

**Sum of our Parts**

Downpour

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"Ah Kakashi I see you are back from your mission, where are the others?"

"They are… preoccupied Hokage-Sama, Jiraiya-Sama."

"Kakashi" The white haired Sanin nodded in greeting, before returning to a series of reports he had been going through.

"Alright let's get this debriefing over with."

The silver haired man nodded at his leaders request before going over the basics, everything up to the point the attack began.

"At that point explosions rung out through the city and we went to confront the perpetrators… along with the Kazekage and his two siblings."

Tsunade glared in annoyance at the man before interrupting for the first time.

"What part of 'keep the Jinchuriki _away_ from the Akatsuki' was confusing to you Kakashi?"

"With all due respect Hokage-Sama I couldn't exactly _order_ the Kazekage around in his own village. Plus you know how the two Uzumaki sisters are…"

"Fair point" The blonde grumbled before motioning him to continue.

"Once we arrived we confronted three enemies, Sasori of the Red Sand, Deidara the Terrorist bomber, and an unknown at the time."

Tsunade practically spat up her tea in shock.

She knew that the Akatsuki were recruiting S-Ranked missing Ninja but to find someone like Sasori? This could prove far more dangerous than she originally imagined.

"Before you go any further… did we suffer any casualties?"

"Miraculously no Hokage-Sama, all of our forces survived along with the Kazekage and his two siblings."

"Thank God… very well continue."

"We split up into pairs. Those who could fly or maintain some form of ranged combat took to dealing with the Iwa Ninja, the rest of us went against Sasori. Unfortunately we all underestimated our opponents and the Kazekage along with his sister were defeated and several of our team were poisoned by Sasori. At this point I would like to request that Sakura be trained in medical techniques. If it hadn't been for your apprentice I have no doubt that we would be coming back without some of our team members."

"I have been working on pushing through mandatory medical training for certain individuals, along with a regulation to have at least one medically trained individual on every mission." Tsunade commented.

"Thankfully a combination of Kurenai, Akane, and Tenten were able to defeat Deidara while Sasuke destroyed the puppet made from the Third Kazekage. Due to the technique used he was also taken out of combat and I intend on reinforcing the idea that while his techniques are powerful, if it had missed then we would have been without another squad member. Until he brings up his reserves the advanced Sharingan techniques are not to be used."

The Senju nodded in agreement.

"It was around this time that we were exposed to Natsuko's… 'new Jutsu'."

Jiraiya giggled slightly in the corner, earning a slight glare from the aged leader.

"So how would you rate it?"

"I would say that despite being a massive drain of Chakra it is reason alone to consider her for Jonin."

"That powerful huh?"

"I… I wasn't aware that Jutsu even _could_ do that."

Again Tsunade nodded.

"At that point the third member of their team was urged into combat…"

Both of the Sanin had a bad feeling about this opponent. Kakashi had so far been avoiding any mention of him and there was hesitation in his voice.

"Permission to speak freely Hokage-Sama?"

The Fifth Hokage blinked in confusion. It was the first time she had ever been given that request by the cyclopean Jonin.

"Granted…"

"You sure know how to pick em."

"What exactly do you mean by…"

Kakashi walked to a nearby cabinet to retrieve three glasses and a bottle of sake before letting out a sigh.

"I mean the men you choose to have relations with."

"Where the hell do you get off Kakashi! My personal life is none of your damn business!"

"True, but it became that way on the mission."

"Kakashi…" Jiraiya growled out in warning. Normally he was all for teasing someone but he was naturally protective of others doing such things to his teammate.

"I met Minato's father."

The silence in the room would have made ANBU proud.

"Wh-What?" The woman stuttered out.

"Arashi Namikaze, we met him on the mission."

Tsunade's mind was shutting down she had never known the man's full name. Nor had she ever looked into finding him after their 'encounter'.

Jiraiya, in the meantime, had a strange defeated look on his face.

"So he is from Suna then? Makes sense I suppose with Minato's wind affinity."

"No, the Namikazes are a wandering clan of nomads. That is why they are so difficult to find information on. Don't you think I would have looked into it for him?" the sage muttered out.

"So if he isn't living in Suna then how…"

"He is a member of the Akatsuki."

This time both Ninja gaped at the former ANBU.

"No…" Tsunade felt tears forming at her eyes. How could she fall in love, if only briefly, with a criminal?

"Kakashi are you sure that…" the toad summoner began before the man motioned that he wasn't finished.

"Oh it gets better… apparently his nickname is the 'Kamikaze'."

Jiraiya chuckled humorlessly while Tsunade sat speechless.

"Of course he is… why the hell wouldn't he be…"

"Jiraiya I…"

The older man shook his head before heading toward the window. "I will let Kakashi finish his report I have things to do after all."

A second later the man was gone.

 _***SooP***_

Kurenai had spent the better part of an hour before finally giving up on finding her friend and had gone to see Yugao and Hayate.

Once there the Genjutsu mistress had been informed that the snake summoner had gone on a mission and had been due back hours ago, along with Asuma's team.

After the three ate together, and caught up on a few happenings around the village, they were interrupted by shouts for medical attention outside.

As the three Ninja went to investigate they immediately spotted what the cause for commotion was.

Anko and Asuma were both heavily bleeding, and being supported by Shino and Choji respectively.

Meanwhile Ino was helping Shikamaru limp along.

"We were ambushed, they need…"

Ino was interrupted as the three experienced Ninja immediately hoisted the injured up onto their soldiers and sprinted toward the hospital.

Moments later medics arrived to take care of the three significantly less injured Genin.

 _***SooP***_

"It was only due to him letting us go with a 'warning' that we were able to survive the battle. I have no doubt that he could have killed us all if he had been truly taking it seriously from the start."

Tsunade groaned as Kakashi finished his report.

The situation was far worse than she had originally imagined, if the Akatsuki had managed to recruit one Kage level Ninja then there could easily be another, especially if he didn't appear to be the leader of the group.

Just as she was about to congratulate the man on a successful mission Shizune barged into her office.

"Hokage-Sama! It is Anko, Asuma, and Shikamaru. They were ambushed and are seriously injured!"

"Kakashi go find Hinata, she should be with Natsuko and Akane. We might need her help Shizune you are with me. Tora go find the rest of the team, I need to know as much as possible."

An ANBU appeared briefly, before nodding and disappearing after the silver haired man in a blur of _Sunshin_.

 _***SooP***_

"What the hell happened?" the medical expert demanded as she began checking Asuma's various injuries.

"We are unsure Hokage-Sama, these three have been unconscious since their arrival and…"

"We were ambushed by some freaks in black cloaks with red clouds on them." Ino's voice called out as she slowly entered the emergency room.

"Yeah, there were two of them and they kicked our asses all over the place." Choji nodded, supporting the blonde as she almost fell from exhaustion.

"Indeed, without both of the Jonin present I have no doubt that we would have suffered casualties." Shino finished.

"Any type of poison or strange techniques used? The more information we have the better their chances are."

"Hokage-Sama I just got your message, where is Shikamaru-San?" Hinata called out as she ran into the room.

"Last bed, he appears to be the least injured of the three. No apparent poisoning on Anko-San Lady Tsunade." Shizune replied as she scanned over the Kunoichi.

The three medics, along with a substantial nursing staff, immediately got to work on stabilizing the wounded.

 _***SooP***_

Six hours later Anko woke up and found that Asuma and Shikamaru were also conscious, and being forced to ingest the awful hospital food that they were provided with.

"You know what… just put me back under until I can be cleared to leave because there is no way in hell I am going to be forced to…"

Her rant was silenced as Kurenai shoved a spoonful of lime Jello into the Kunoichi's mouth.

"Now now Anko-chan if you don't take your medicine then how will you ever get better? Maybe if you are reallllly good I will get you a brownie for desert tonight." The Genjutsu mistress teased in a child-like voice.

The snake mistress returned with an attempt to see if she could set the Jonin on fire with just her mind.

She could not.

"ANKO-NEE-CHAN!" Natsuko happily called out as she ran into the room, followed by her sister.

"Good to see that you are awake, Anko." The redhead nodded in agreement.

"Hey there gakis! Yeah don't you worry about me, couple of days and I will be up and ready again."

"Once that happens the Hokage would like a report Anko." Kurenai responded in a serious tone.

"Actually it might take more than a few days besides I could use a vacation… assuming one of my favorite girls snuck me in some dango?"

Akane just sighed, before pulling a container from a seal on her arm.

The snake mistress squealed happily as she set about devouring the snacks, while the Genjutsu mistress shook her head in surrender.

Meanwhile Shikamaru was muttering about how troublesome girls were, while Asuma was trying to bribe Ino into smuggling in cigarettes.

"So what _did_ happen to you three?" the Jonin inquired casually, as she glanced between the bed ridden Ninja.

"A very good question Kurenai" The Hokage called from the doorway as she strode in, "If you three are recovered enough to be eating snacks and complaining then I assume you can give me a basic report of how two simple missions turned into three serious injuries?'

The three glanced between each other before the Sarutobi finally let out a deep sigh of defeat.

"Of course Hokage-Sama, as you know Team ten was assigned a mission to aid The Land of Wave in dealing with a few bandit camps near the newly constructed trade routes. Everything had gone according to plan and we were on our way back when we encountered a monk who was gravely injured and spoke about an attack on the nearby temple." The man took a short pause to take a drink of water before continuing his report. "Once there we encountered two men who I can identify as members of the Akatsuki. At that point I realized that there was very little chance of escaping and we were forced into combat with the two."

"I arrived a few minutes after they had begun fighting." Anko picked up once she noticed the man was still exhausted from his extensive injuries. "I engaged immediately, hoping to shift the battle in our favor enough to force them to retreat. Luckily it seemed to have worked since Kakuzu ordered the Hidan guy to retreat since we were causing too much of a commotion."

"Not before we took heavy injuries though. It was only luck that we were able to make it back here without any casualties." The Nara muttered out in a depressed tone.

"At least you made it back. We were lucky in our recent mission too so don't be too hard on yourself." The redheaded Uzumaki responded towards the genius.

"She's right Shika-kun, besides what would your _girlfriend_ say if she heard you being so depressed hm?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about…"

"Oooooh Shikamaru has a girlfriend now huh? How come this is the first I have been hearing about it?" Ino chimed in with a smirk, one which promised teasing until the end of time.

"Man what a drag…"

"Back on topic… so you were able to identify the two members then?" the Hokage attempted to redirect.

"Yes Hokage-Sama, Asuma-Sensei and Anko-Sama informed us that they were Hidan of Yugakure and Kakuzu of Takigakure. They both claimed to be immortal and despite serious injuries to both during the fight we were unable to inflict any lasting damage on either." The Aburame replied.

"I heard of them before through communication with the other Kages. It appears as though they are responsible for the capture of three Jinchuriki between the two of them. They are said to be completely immortal."

"Hokage-Sama with everything that has been revealed lately I believe we need to work on a strategy on defeating this group. So far we have been ridiculously lucky in that there haven't been any deaths on our side but eventually that will run out." Kurenai spoke up, while glancing at the two sisters.

"Agreed, once Jiraiya gets back from his little errand we are going to have a meeting with all of the Jonin and discuss what actions need to be taken."

"But until then… why don't you tell us more about your girlfriend 'Shika-kun'?" Ino teased, earning laughs from the others in the room save for the boy who groaned in response.

 _***SooP***_

"Jiraiya where are you going?" Tsunade quietly asked as the man was finishing up packing a traveling bag.

"I have a few things I need to check on regarding the Akatsuki. Don't worry I will be back in a few days with any luck."

"You aren't going to confront any of them are you?"

The man halted for a moment, before continuing his packing in silence.

"Jiraiya… I don't want you going after any of them by yourself. If the reports are true they are far too dangerous for anyone to take on alone."

"Don't worry about me hime, I will be fine. Besides I wouldn't want you to start being concerned for my safety now."

"Jiraiya you know I have always worried about you… It's just that…"

"You never _really_ cared about me right? I mean you would rather be with a stranger than even consider a date with me."

"It's not like that and you know it."

"Then what is it?"

The woman halted and fell silent, knowing that she had no real good answer for the man.

The white haired sage let out a deep sigh before rubbing his temples to alleviate the stress.

"Look I am not going to do anything stupid so don't worry. I have two godchildren now to look after and I am not going to leave them to face this alone."

The Hokage nodded in acceptance, before watching the man leap out towards the village exit.

"Be careful Jiraiya… and come back to me."

 _***SooP***_

"Thank you all for coming. As you know we have now been in two separate conflicts with the group known as the Akatsuki. In both of these our teams survived only due to luck and the enemy choosing to retreat. Since we know that their agenda is to remove the Biju from Jinchuriki it means that they _will_ be targeting Natsuko and Akane at some point in the future, along with going back after the Kazekage. I have already informed Gaara that he needs to be on alert at all times, if the enemy was stopped last time due to our intervention then that might be the only thing that saves us the next time as well."

The Hokage paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath and continuing on.

"As such it has been decided, and agreed upon by the council, that there will no longer be any solo missions. All team will work in groups of two and more importantly Team nine will always be accompanied by at least one other team and an extra Jonin or higher ranking individual. There is no doubt in my mind that these criminals will try and attack the girls when they are most vulnerable, which would be on a mission outside of Konoha."

"With all due respect Hokage-Sama, after what happened in Suna shouldn't we take this as a sign to limit their missions altogether? We have already taken out two of this group's members and if they are going after Jinchuriki then they will most likely be confronting the other villages as well. This could be one of those times to just switch to the defensive until we can strike at their headquarters." Asuma suggested.

"I have considered that, but quite frankly we don't know who all is a part of the Akatsuki. Thus far we can confirm they are at least S-Ranked Ninja and one is now verified as being a Kage ranked. If their leader is someone else, as intel suggests, then we can be fairly certain there is someone even more powerful in charge. If this is true we cannot risk a major face off in the village itself."

"That's bull crap and you know it!" Anko shouted, "If we are so damn worried about them overpowering us then we sure as hell shouldn't let Natsuko and Akane go out on missions. If we can't protect them in a fortified village then sending them in a group with three Jonin won't be enough!"

"I understand your frustrations Anko but we also have to think about the civilians involved along with the younger generation. If we engage S-Ranked Ninja inside Konoha the collateral would be enormous." The blonde replied.

"Then maybe it is time to go on the offensive Hokage-Sama. We can assume that the two members who attacked Team ten are still in the Land of Fire and if that is the case we could strike another devastating blow by dealing with them as well. If we allow them to gather I imagine that they could pose an incredible threat to us. But as long as we can take them out two at a time we can slowly remove the threat. They won't be able to replenish their forces fast enough to recover, especially once Jiraiya is able to get more information on them." Kakashi called out.

"Not a bad idea Kakashi, the problem is that we are severely lacking in Ninja who are capable of taking down that high ranking of individual right now. You and your team are still recovering, along with Gai's and Kurenai's. Asuma still isn't combat ready nor is Anko. Plus Jiraiya just left for some 'information gathering' that he wanted to do." Tsunade lamented.

"I suppose you have a point there. I guess we will have to recover our forces first and then come up with a plan of attack huh?" the Cyclopean Jonin gave the woman an eye smile before subtly pulling out his orange book, much to the irritation of the various Kunoichi.

 _***SooP***_

Three days after Team ten had arrived back in Konoha the Third Hokage passed away in his sleep.

A memorial was held the next day, where every villager was given a chance to observe the casket, and say their final respects.

"We are here today to honor the passing of a great man, a man who saw this village through three wars, hundreds of conflicts, and decades of peace. A man who will never be forgotten, we gather here to honor Hiruzen Sarutobi." The well dressed announcer called out to those who were invited to the private funeral.

This included the Third's son and grandson, Tsunade, both Uzumaki sisters, all of the Jonin, and numerous other members of the Sarutobi clan.

Jiraiya had chosen to honor his Sensei privately instead.

"Despite his years of service and life Sarutobi-Sama did not have a lengthy funeral planned out, so if anyone has anything that they would like to say you may do so now."

A few clansmen walked forward to say their last respects, often honoring how great of a man he was. Kakashi had surprised everyone by speaking at great lengths to the amount he respected the man and his personal sacrifices.

Asuma whispered a few things to the casket before returning to Konohamaru's side.

Natsuko sobbed through the entire ceremony, while her sister held her in a tight hug, her own eyes full of tears as well.

It signaled the passing of an era, and of a man that could never be replaced.

 _***SooP***_

"I miss him onee-chan" The normally happy blonde mumbled as she stared through the window at the pouring rain.

It had been raining nonstop since the man's death.

"Me too Natsuko, but at least he was given a peaceful end. He was able to pass on in his sleep, in his own bed."

"I know but…" The girl hadn't finished her sentence, instead opting to staring back out at the dark grey sky.

"It doesn't make dealing with death any easier, especially if it is someone you cared about." A voice called out as Tsunade walked into the room.

"Baa-chan…"

"Hokage-Sama"

The Senju forced the slight wince down at the redhead's response, she had been told by her Sensei how the girl chose to use honorifics and the fact that her own granddaughter didn't trust her stung in ways she never thought they would.

"Unfortunately this is one of the life lessons that will you will never get used to. As Ninja we are forced to deal with death on a daily basis, whether it is through us taking lives or those around us being taken. It is a part of the world but it is even more ingrained into ours. When you accepted that headband you also accepted the terrible things that come along with it. One of these is the fact that you will most likely be killed in the line of duty. Rare are the Ninja who die of natural causes, even more so those who die peacefully of old age."

"How do you deal with it?" Akane inquired curiously.

"Everyone copes differently, that's one of the reasons there are so many Jonin with 'odd tendencies' I drink and gamble for instance. Kakashi reads smut, Gai trains constantly, Asuma smokes, Anko is… well Anko, Kurenai volunteers at day cares when she can along with putting up with Anko."

"So we need to keep up with some type of coping mechanism." The redhead again noted.

"Yes, otherwise you are going to burn yourself out and might even require psychological help."

"So… what you're saying is that we need to eat more ramen…" The younger blonde noted, in a serious tone.

"Uh… no that's actually not what I'm saying at all. Look I hate to bring this up with your… pasts but I am more worried about you Akane. Natsuko has a… relationship… and is social. She seems to be dealing with her choices and has adapted into society quite well, but you need to fill your time with something that isn't related to being a Kunoichi. So I am giving you a personal mission, I want you to find a hobby, go on dates, have a one night stand, do _something_ to take your mind off of things and keep you busy when you have free time."

The redhead glared slightly at the woman before sighing and giving a reluctant nod.

"Good, as for you Natsuko… WHAT THE HELL DID JIRAIYA MEAN WHEN HE SAID YOU ARE DATING THE KYUUBI!"

 _***SooP***_

"How are you two doing?" Hinata quietly inquired as she sat down with her two teammates.

She had become quite concerned after not seeing either girl for several days following the funeral and had finally spoken to the Hokage about their location.

"Doing okay Hinata-chan…" Natsuko muttered out softly as she continued watching the rain fall from the sky.

Akane just shrugged as she stared at a handful of photos that lay on the table in front of her, Pictures of her childhood, often involving her sister and the deceased Hokage.

"Oh… I am sorry for your loss I know how much the Third meant to you two."

The redhead nodded in appreciation without averting her gaze.

"So what have you been up to? Besides what happened I mean?" the Hyuga continued, trying to fill the silence.

"Hokage-Sama wants me to find a coping mechanism for being a Kunoichi."

Hinata's face blanked in confusion.

"Oh…"

When she thought about it the situation did make sense after all. Natsuko had always been the lively and social one of the two sisters. She had a few hobbies, such as gardening, and had even made friends with a few of the girls during the academy. Akane had been the silent protector though. Always keeping everyone at a distance and never showing any real interest in things besides her sister or being a Ninja.

"Apparently I either have to find a hobby that isn't related to being a Ninja, or I have to start dating. Either that or start sleeping around, apparently taking any kind of drugs or drinking wasn't an option for me unlike most of the other Jonin."

The pale eyed girl's face turned bright red as she processed what had been said.

'Th-this is my chance… she _needs_ to find someone to date so all I have to do is casually bring it up…' The girl took several deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves and force her hands to stop shaking with anxiety.

"I-I suppose that makes sense. She doesn't want you to suffer after all."

"I guess, the problem is that most of my hobbies _are_ Ninja related. Other than that I am not really all that interested in dating anyone from the village, even if there was anyone who would want to be with me as well."

"W-well maybe you don't have to start off dating? M-maybe you could just spend some time with someone alone and see wh-what happens?"

"That's a great idea Hinata-chan! I remember a certain red eyed boy being quite interested in you onee-chan." Natsuko hinted with a smile.

"NO!" Hinata blurted out before covering her mouth with both hands, "I-I mean uh maybe you should take things a bit slower? After what happened with Itachi's family I think you should look into spending time with a couple girls instead, to build up friendships before going after boys."

"That does sound like a better idea. It's not like I know anything about dating anyway." The redhead confirmed.

"I-I can teach you a few things… wh-why don't we go out on a f-few p-practice dates, s-so that you can get used t-to the idea first?"

"What a great idea Hinata-chan! That way onee-chan can get used to being on a date with someone."

"Y-yeah, w-we could try h-holding hands… you know j-just so you c-can get used to it…"

Akane nodded in agreement once more.

"That sounds like a good idea, would you like to start tomorrow or…"

"Tonight! I-I mean why not start as s-soon as possible so that the H-Hokage does not continue worrying?"

"Okay, tonight sounds fine then."

Hinata nodded before finishing up on a few last minute details and leaving the Senju compound for her own residence.

Just as she passed out of sight she broke into a joyful sprint, wanting as much time to prepare as possible.

If she had been thinking correctly she would have noticed that the rain had stopped, and that the sunshine was once more breaking through the clouds over Konoha.

 _***SooP***_

An older blonde haired man sat alone in a shady bar nursing his drink.

His mind was busy in a flurry of different topics. Everything ranging from his failed mission to his past and the future paths laid out before him.

Could he really give up his independence and his freedom to form a relationship with two people he had only met one time? Could he become a grandfather, or a husband?

Could he even settle down in one place long enough to get to know the two young girls that he had tried to kill mere days ago.

His thoughts were interrupted as another man sat down next to him.

"I'll have a bottle of your finest sake, and two glasses, one for me and one for my friend here."

The blonde glanced over at the large imposing man, with waist length white hair.

"Jiraiya I take it?"

"Yep, and you must be Arashi Namikaze."

"I am, so what's the occasion?" The man inquired, with a slight gesture towards the bottle of alcohol.

"Think of it as a last meal."

***A/N***

So I wasn't going to reintroduce Arashi so soon, but in the timeline I created in my head this just sort of made sense.

I still haven't decided one hundred percent on pairings yet, though the romance will be kept at a minimum throughout the story regardless of what they end up being.

Though I must admit I do like the idea of Hinata x Akane…

I am really excited for the next chapter, Jiraiya vs. the Kamikaze is going to be full of action and drama.

Until next time I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and is enjoying the story.


	25. Battle for a Legacy

**Sum of our Parts**

Battle for a Legacy

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

The two seasoned killers sat in silence as the white haired sage poured two glasses of sake and handed the one to his target.

"A toast, to the one who walks out of this alive, may he be worthy of the life he continues"

The blonde nodded, and downed the alcohol, immediately leaping backwards from the kunai that the other had drawn.

"Awww come on not this again… I swear I am going to put a 'no Shinobi' sign on the door." The bartender cried as he took cover from the hail of thrown projectiles and powerful winds that erupted throughout the, thankfully empty, bar.

As the weapons were reversed midair Jiraiya leapt behind a nearby table, kicking it up onto its side and using that as a temporary shield.

"Pretty fast for an old man, I'm impressed." Arashi called out with a slight smirk, earning an invisible glare from the other man.

'I'll show you old…'

The toad summoner leapt over the table and closed the distance between the two combatants in an instance, only to disappear in a puff of smoke when a blade of wind tore through him.

" _Kage Bunshin_ , figures…" The criminal muttered out, before dodging backwards out of the path of a powerful _Rasengan_ that tore up from under the floor.

This time Jiraiya would not allow the man any breathing space as he immediately charged forward and engaged his opponent in close ranged combat, denying the Akatsuki member anytime to retaliate or mold Chakra for a ranged attack.

The Kamikaze was not praised just for his Wind control, however, as he began battling the sage to a standstill with raw Taijutsu.

Seeing an opening the blonde delivered a powerful kick, launching the other man backwards and allowing him to following up with a powerful burst of wind, damaging the wall that Jiraiya impacted even further.

As the white haired man collapsed to the ground, and lay motionless afterwards, his opponent cautiously approached. The Namikaze couldn't believe that such an attack would put down someone as powerful as a Sanin but truth be told he had never encountered on in direct combat before.

The rumor was that they were getting on in years so perhaps they were finally getting to the point of retirement, and thus their bodies finally catching up to them.

Just as he reached the man's prone Jiraiya leapt up from the ground in a surprising show of agility and speed.

The blonde barely had time to glimpse the man's change in appearance, now being far more toad-like than previously.

Even with this increase in physical ability the Namikaze had no concern about dodging the man's attacks, a combination of godly reflexes and sensing movements from any direction made it quite difficult to lay a single blow after all.

Just as he dodged the fist he was shocked as the blow still landed, tossing him across the room and into the bar, thus shattering all of the sake bottles and earning a pitiful cry from the owner of the establishment.

A split second later the Kamikaze used his control over the wind to propel him along the floor, narrowly dodging the direct impact of the enhanced Chakra sphere which tore apart where he had been previously laying.

It had not been fast enough to dodge the aftershock though, and thus he was once more thrown across the room from the shockwave, earning a few more bruises for his efforts.

Pushing up off the floor the wind master spun around in midair and launched a series of powerful slashes towards his adversary, who responded by activating his hair shield and retaliated with a hail of needles.

Growling in annoyance, and producing a cyclonic barrier to neutralize the attack, the criminal took stock of his situation.

His early on advantage was quickly falling apart and if the battle continued as it was now the outcome would be far more up to luck than he was willing to accept.

Not only that but there was a chance that this would draw in forces allied to the man, even assuming that he had come alone.

Muttering something along the lines of a rematch later the blonde sprinted towards the door, only to have an amphibian fist smash into his face from a large toad that was currently acting as a bouncer and guard.

"Where do you think you're going asshole? Master Jiraiya told us not to get involved unless you tried chickening out like a wuss."

'Great now even if I do get past the damn Sanin I have another opponent already lined up.'

Movement from his flank caught the man's attention, as another volley of kunai flew towards him.

Directing his attention towards the newest threat the man hadn't caught the _Bunshin_ that the white haired sage had formed, allowing him to move through the back room and crash through the wall with a _Odama Rasengan_ fully formed.

The blonde reacted instantly, spinning much like a Hyuga would and creating a massive whirlwind that consumed the interior of the building, tearing the entire area to pieces in a torrent of debris and shrapnel.

Once the winds died down it revealed that his attack had only been partially successful.

Jiraiya stood, bloody and no longer in his fabled _Sage Mode_.

His attack had in fact connected, thus ripping into the opposing man's back and arm, creating heavy damage on him as well.

Both men looked ready to collapse at any given moment, yet both refused to yield holding themselves up on sheer will alone.

A falling bottle started the next phase of the encounter, which was progressively slower and less flashy than the others.

It quickly resembled what many would refer to as a "bar fight" in which both Shinobi proceeded to simply beat the ever loving hell out of the other.

Punches were exchanged and blocked.

Arashi would strike several times, kicking his opponent into a wall before being tackled to the ground and receiving a series of punches for his efforts.

Any items not destroyed became improvised weapons as bottles were smashed into body parts and the remains of chairs were broken over backs and chests.

Finally, the fighting subsided, both men too far from each other to mount any type of offense and too exhausted and injured to move any closer.

 _***SooP***_

"Hey Pa you think they are done in there?" The door guard inquired of the elder toad sitting across from him while he studied his hand.

The toads that had been summoned were told to stay out of the fight and just asked to keep bystanders from interfering.

Which meant they were currently sitting at a table outside of the front entrance playing cards.

"Sounds like it but we should probably give them a few more minutes just in case, got any threes?"

"Go fish."

The older toad scowled in annoyance, sometimes he truly hated playing these games.

 _***SooP***_

"Do you realize how much I hated you?"

Arashi Namikaze glanced up towards the white haired man seated across the room from him amidst a pile of rubble.

"Considering we only met today, I find that hard to believe."

"It's true though, I hated you so much because of how he talked about you."

"Who?"

"Minato, your son"

"I was under the impression he never knew who I was."

"He didn't"

Now the blonde was thoroughly confused, how the hell could this man talk about him and yet not know him at all.

"Every week it was a different story. One time you were a famous samurai who took an oath not to kill after single handedly destroying a village of bandits. The next you were a Shinobi so powerful that you were not _allowed_ to become a Kage. Hell I remember one time you were a farmer, but even then you were so important in his eyes that you provided food directly to the Daimyos. But even with how rich and powerful you were every month you would still donate food anonymously to orphanages because you were that incredible."

The Sage chuckled humorlessly at the other man's surprised expression.

"No matter what role you took on Minato always remained confident that you were the best at it, that you were the most important person ever… and I hated you for that. I would have given _anything_ for him to, just once, look at me with the same wonder and amazement in his eyes that he had when talking about you. I would have killed just to have him think of me as something more than just a teacher. Hell I would have faced a horde of angry Iwa Ninja just to have him think of me as an uncle, even just one time."

The Kamikaze remained silent, he could sense the man's hostilities throughout the battle and knew it was more than just revenge for his actions against Konoha, or even his students. It was far more personal than just that.

"But you couldn't just stop there could you? No you had to actually live up to the stories. You just _had_ to be a Kage level Ninja of legendary proportions. You, the man who had been given _everything_ I ever wanted in life. The son I always wish I had, the grandchildren I would die for in a heartbeat, and the love of the woman I have admired since I was a child."

The blonde's eyes widened in shock at the last statement. Apparently his opponent had been in love with the woman he had just so happened to have had a one-night stand, and thus a child, with.

"I have longed to be with her, hell to even be acknowledged as anything more than just a loser teammate, for decades. But you… you were able to just waltz in and she fell for you instantly. Some wandering asshole who isn't even loyal enough to stay with a village. She chooses you to have a child with after one night but refuses to even consider a date with me after forty years of pining for her."

The criminal stared down at the floor, a bit ashamed at having taken everything from a man he had never even met until today.

"I can only assume that you will just walk into Konoha and declare yourself their grandfather, then start teaching them and take the only thing I have left away. Of course they would be lucky to have _you_ as their teacher. I am sure they would forget about me in a week or less if you truly put effort into it."

"I think you underestimate yourself Jiraiya of the Sanin, not many people can have claimed to push me this far in combat, especially having never encountered me before. From what I have heard about you there is nothing for you to be ashamed about concerning your life. The greatest spymaster who ever lived, Sensei to the Fourth Hokage, one of the three Legendary Sanin and the only one who stuck with his village throughout everything. That is not the career of a loser or a second place throw off Ninja."

Jiraiya gave the man a small thankful smile before shifting slightly and letting out a groaning of pain.

"Don't you think you could have spared my ribs just a little?"

Arashi chuckled, before wincing slightly himself.

"Speak for yourself, do you know how sore I am going to be tomorrow? I am not as young as I used to be you know."

"Yeah I hear that, getting old sucks doesn't it?"

The Akatsuki member nodded before finally pulling himself up to his feet.

"Listen… despite the fact that we are on different sides I don't want to see the two girls hurt. I saw in them something that is rare in this day and age."

"And that is?"

The blonde paused for a moment before answering, "The ability to change the world. There are still eight members of the Akatsuki left including me, which means that they will be going after them again. Despite how powerful I am our leader is even more powerful. He is a self proclaimed 'God' and wields a Dojutsu that I have never seen before."

Jiraiya thought for a moment on what was said before making an inquiry of his own, "Where can I find him?"

"He lives in Amegakure, but I will warn you now do not go after him. He is dangerous Jiraiya and if what I have heard is correct those two godchildren of yours have lost enough family members for one life time."

The white haired sage nodded as the other man slowly stood and made his way to the door, before it was slowly opened and the older toad stuck his head in.

"You done yet boy? It looks like you two have caused enough damage but I wouldn't want to _interfere_ with your pissing contest."

The sage chuckled and nodded his head, "Yeah we're done, you can let him pass Pa thanks."

The tiny creature nodded, before glaring slightly up at the considerably larger man and stood aside to let him limp away.

"So now what?"

"Now… I am going to rest up for a few days and then head to Amegakure. If this guy is as scary as I keep hearing, then we are going to need as much information on him as possible."

 _***SooP***_

The various members of the 'Konoha Thirteen', minus the two Uzumaki sisters, sat around a table in a dimly lit restaurant.

They had gathered at the request of the girls' teammate, Hinata Hyuga, and were presently waiting for their meals to arrive.

"Th-thank you all for coming, as I am sure all of you are well aware by now there is a group known as the 'Akatsuki' that is currently hunting down Jinchuriki. This includes my two teammates."

The others nodded in understand as they focused on the Kunoichi, who was having a slightly difficult time with all the attention she was now receiving.

"Th-this means that they are in danger, and we need to help them."

"Agreed, but what can we do? It's not like these are just some random assholes that we can punch in the face and then move on. Three of them almost killed three of our teams along with a Kage." Kiba pointed out in a rare moment of intellect.

It of course earned jaw dropping stares from the others.

"What? I can be smart… whatever screw you guys too."

"Kiba is, and I can't believe I am saying this, correct. These are all S-Ranked Ninja or higher and even all of us together stand no chance against more than one at a time. Hell I would even argue that all of us facing one would be a difficult fight without backup or the Uzumaki sisters' aid." Sasuke threw in.

"Troublesome and I am guessing you want to do something about this _without_ our Sensei's or you would have included them in this meeting."

The pale eyed girl nodded in confirmation towards the Nara who closed his eyes in a thinking pose.

"If that's the case then we are going to need more information on them. My dad always said that information is the key to winning battles and wars. So what do we know about the remaining members?" The blonde member of Team ten inquired.

"One of them is a Kage level Ninja known as the Kamikaze. He also appears to be Akane and Natsuko's grandfather from what I can tell. He was the one who basically defeated all three of our Sensei's within minutes." Sakura listed.

"Then there were the two we faced. Both claimed, and appeared, to be immortal to all harm no matter what we hit them with. Hidan wields a scythe and some sort of strange damage transference Jutsu and Kakuzu has a body that is completely biologically altered, from what I can tell he steals the hearts of other individuals in order to give him access to their affinities." The stoic voice of the Aburame filled in the silence a moment later.

"Half… we only know what _half_ of them are capable of. How are we supposed to devise a strategy based on that?" Tenten groaned.

" _We_ only know half… but I highly doubt that the first target of the group was the Kazekage… they would have gone after non Kage level Jinchuriki first in order to keep a lower profile. Once you hit such a big target you risk war with an entire nation for that. This means that the other nations might have information on them." Shikamaru pointed out, opening his eyes to reveal a calculating gaze.

"So all we need to do is get into Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri and politely ask for the information, and when they don't give us what we want we bash some faces in. I like the plan!"

No one could tell if Kiba was being sarcastic or perfectly serious… which was very worrisome to all those assembled.

"Maybe we should take a more delicate approach instead? I don't think that creating an international incident would be the best way to deal with this situation even if it would work. Plus I don't know about you but I _really_ doubt Konoha is going to let me just leave without supervision and go into a neighboring country without any kind of explanation." The Uchiha pointed out, earning a nervous chuckle from his teammate.

Apparently he had been serious…

"What about the Hokage?" Neji spoke up for the first time.

Those seated at the table turned to the Clan heir in curiosity.

"Whatever this group's agenda is it clearly affects all of the other nations as well. So why not ask her to try and do some diplomacy? She and the other Kages could exchange notes and share information to help all of us." The boy finished.

"YOSH! A great idea Neji! MAY YOUR YOUTH SOAR EVER…"

"Lee! What did I say about shouting that stuff in a restaurant that we _haven't_ been kicked out of yet?"

"Umm… don't? Sorry Tenten-chan but I get a bit excited sometimes…"

'Sometimes?' the rest of the collected Ninja sweat dropped at the statement before Sakura turned toward the Hyuga Kunoichi.

"So umm… Hinata-chan, do you think you could talk to Hokage-Sama about this? You are her student after all."

Hinata noted the jealousy in her voice before nodding slightly.

"I suppose I could at least try to convince her."

"In the meantime I think it is time to start some hard core training. Obviously if we are going to be trying to protect them like they have protected us then we _all_ need to get stronger." Shino noted, with many of those present glancing in a not so discreet manner towards the Inuzuka.

"What? HEY IM STRONG! Whatever screw you guys…."

 _***SooP***_

"Hokage-Sama"

"Ah Hinata come in. I understand you wanted to speak with me about something?"

"Yes, I have a request for you."

"And that is?"

"I would like to ask for you to call a meeting with the other Kages in order to share information about the Akatsuki. Thus far we only know the capabilities of half their numbers, which means we are unable to prepare a strategy to protect my teammates and any other remaining Jinchuriki. Since this obviously affects all the major villages I am sure that the other Kages would be more than willing to share information."

"You are hm? Well it is a good plan and I will certainly take it into consideration but there is more than just 'protecting the Jinchuriki' going on right now. Politics are a difficult maze to navigate and one must be careful, especially when representing an entire village."

"I understand Hokage-Sama."

"So… I hear that you and Akane are 'pretend dating' right now…"

The Hyuga developed a very deep blush and chose to stare at the floor rather than face her teacher and the teasing.

"I-I thought this w-would be good for her… you know t-to take her mind off of th-things and h-help her socialize."

"And the fact that you wouldn't mind spending some more 'quality alone time' with her has nothing to do with it right?"

Hinata tried to reply but it came out as sputtering and nonsense rather than actual words.

"Relax Hinata, I have no problem with this as long as everyone is happy. Personally I think it is a good thing that she is doing something more than just Ninja work… even if it is her teammate that she is _doing_."

The poor girl almost passed out at this statement.

"I do have a question though, how far _have_ you gotten with my granddaughter?" The teasing in the woman's voice was now mixed with something else, a seriousness that told the pale eyed girl that she _would_ be answering this question.

"W-we have been g-going out t-to eat. N-nothing ph-ph-physical…"

"…yet?" Tsunade finished the statement with a knowing smirk.

Hinata nodded, apparently the fact that she was interested in _far_ more was no longer a secret between her and the woman she had come to view as a third mother, the second being Kurenai.

"Just… take things slow alright? I know I suggested having a one night stand to the girl but quite frankly I don't think it would be a good idea for her to rush into that sort of thing. She has reluctance towards physical contact that I am sure you have noticed and I don't want to cause issues in what is possibly my most powerful Ninja team just because two of them are dating."

Hinata nodded before being excused and running off to calm down her emotions.

 _***SooP***_

"Hinata Hyuga"

"Itachi Uchiha"

The two Ninja stared at each other in silence, measuring one another and attempting to force the age old hatred between the two prominent Dojutsu wielding clans away from their minds.

"I understand that you have been 'pretend dating' Akane Uzumaki."

"I wouldn't call it 'pretend'."

"What would you call it then?"

"Dating"

"Ah"

The Uchiha paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully, "Many would consider this to be 'practice' for when she is involved in a real relationship."

"They would be wrong, and I _do_ consider this a _real_ relationship." The Hyuga responded in a monotone voice, which held just enough edge and sarcasm to get her meaning across.

The conversation was angering her.

"I see…"

"Rumor is that you are 'interested' in her as well."

The Uchiha nodded in confirmation o the girl's statement.

"I suppose this will lead to some conflict in the future then?"

"I would like to ensure that it does not turn violent or cruel for either of us. There is no need to drag her into more drama with everything else she has to deal with." Itachi stated, and earned a nod from Hinata.

"Then I suppose I should say good luck… and may the best Hyuga win." The girl smirked before doing a slight bow and turning to leave.

Itachi let out a sigh before rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

Once it got word that he had to compete with a Hyuga for the affections of a girl…

His mother would be up in arms and trying to manipulate the entire situation like always.

Even worse, Sasuke would be taunting him for the next decade.

 _***SooP***_

This hadn't exactly how the Sanin had envisioned the mission going. He was supposed to sneak in, gather some incredibly classified and highly useful information about the leader of the Akatsuki. Then get out.

Simple

Of course he hadn't counted on being spotted by some creepy orange haired guy with facial piercings.

Neither had he counted on reinforcements showing up, in the form of several clones of the creepy orange haired guy.

Now he was facing a total of six opponents, all wielding the Rinnegan.

Of course this meant that at least one of them had to be Nagato, the only question was which was he?

The white haired Shinobi had even gone into his _Sage Mode_ in order to battle them, but thus far it wasn't giving him any sort of real advantage.

Sure he had managed to damage a couple of them but they were slowly wearing him down, and if the fight continued…

This had to be done he had to obtain the secret behind this man's techniques before he died.

Then he could pass that knowledge on, and earn the right to call Minato his son, earn the right to truly call himself a godfather.

Godfathers are there to protect and raise those who are entrusted to them.

He had done neither of these two things.

Both Akane and Natsuko were hurt, ignored, and starved both physically and emotionally.

He had failed them too many times to leave empty handed now.

His last act would be… _must be_ to obtain this information, to pass it on to his two godchildren so that they might use it to defeat the Akatsuki once and for all.

Then he would permit himself to leave this world if it came to that.

Simple

 _***SooP***_

"So then I said to him 'listen jerk I don't care if you are the best chef in the _entire world_ ramen is the gift from the Gods and nothing you say will ever change that'."

"That's incredible Natsuko-chan, it must have been amazing to journey all over the different countries and experience such new things. I would love to go traveling someday." Hinata mused wishfully.

"Maybe we will after this whole thing is over. Once the Akatsuki are removed we could always as Hokage-Sama if we could take another training vacation with Jiraiya. I am sure he would let you join us." Akane replied.

'Alone… on a training trip with Akane-chan and Natsuko-chan for an entire _year_ …' a bit of blood dripped from Hinata's nose before she nodded her head in acceptance so fast that the two sisters feared she would get whiplash.

"That would be so much fun! We could go camping, and see new and fun places, and meet all kinds of fun people, and taste so many new kinds of ramen, and…" The blonde stopped walking as she and the Hyuga glanced back at the redhead, who had frozen mid step.

The girl's eyes were open wide in shock and she quickly shifted her body and stared off into the distance.

"Jiraiya…"

A second later she vanished in a flash of red.

 _***SooP***_

Jiraiya fell forward, watching as the ground slowly rose to meet him. The twelve purple eyes watched on stoically from a few feet away.

The only consolation was that his message would be delivered, the note he had inscribed on Pa would be found by Tsunade and she could use it to devise a plan to defeat Pein.

The Akatsuki would be destroyed without its leader.

Akane and Natsuko would be safe.

If only he could have seen them one more time, said his last goodbyes before…

Well it didn't matter much now. He could feel his life slipping away as the world slowed around him, as if giving him time to make his mental farewells.

Just as the darkness consumed his vision and he lost consciousness the sage swore he felt an arm gently catch him.

 _***SooP***_

"Where did she…"

One of the paths muttered out, as the six creations gazed at the young redheaded girl now standing before them, holding the white haired Sanin up with one arm while glaring at them in turn.

If looks could kill he was sure that all six of them would be in hell once more.

A split second later he recognized her from the reports.

She was a Jinchuriki of the Nine Tails.

She was a target.

The Preta Path immediately leapt forward, closing the distance in seconds, and threw a punch to engage the Kunoichi and stop her from rescuing the man.

Just as his fist was about to come into contact she vanished, a flash of red being the only indication of her departure or arrival.

More worrisome was the fact that Jiraiya was gone as well, meaning that the secret was in jeopardy.

Perhaps it was time to pay Konoha a visit, and show them the consequences for angering a God.

***Omake***

"So Jiraiya I have been meaning to ask you something."

"And what would that be hime?"

Tsunade paused for a moment, considering the wording of her question carefully before continuing on, "Are both Uzumaki sisters… lesbians?"

Jiraiya spit out the tea he had just taken a sip of in shock.

"What!? No! Where the hell did this come from?"

The Hokage shot him a 'are you serious' look before replying, "Akane is currently 'dating' Hinata and you said that Natsuko is dating the Kyubi… who is a female…"

"Well _technically_ the Kyubi isn't really a female per se."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"The Biju are creatures of pure Chakra given form so they don't really _have_ a gender."

"How the hell can you date or… um… get anywhere further with something that has no gender?"

"No you misunderstand, as pure Chakra the Biju take on whatever form that they want to. That's why the Kyubi can appear as a mountain sized fox in one moment and a normal sized person the next. Obviously _she_ can change her form at will… which means she can change the _attributes_ of that form as well."

Tsunade sat back in her chair, trying to catch the hidden meaning behind the statement.

"So the Kyubi could take on the form of a man if Natsuko wanted it to?"

"As far as I understand it yes, though she prefers the feminine shape instead, she could just as easily… uh… modify it to add in… extra… fun…"

Jiraiya's eyes glazed over for a moment, and the Kunoichi was starting to worry before he leapt up, tears rolling down his face in joy.

"THIS IS THE BEST IDEA FOR A STORY EVER! Imagine it hime… 'Icha Icha the Forbidden Futa'! I WILL BE RICH! I can already see the plot in my head! Two beautiful, young, and powerful sisters _tempted_ by a demon that appears as a female and then grows… MY GOD IT WILL BE MY GREATEST WORK EEEEEVVVVVVAAAAAARRRRRRR!"

Tsunade could only twitch in annoyance as she listened, and watched, her former teammate excited pull out a small book and begin writing down notes at a blinding pace.

"Jiraiya…"

The man didn't answer, too lost in his own perversions.

" _Jiraiya…"_

Still he didn't look up.

"JIRAIYA!"

"Hm? Oh you say something hime?"

The Kage fought the urge to paint the walls with the man's face.

"How _exactly_ are you going to explain this to them once they hear about it?"

Suddenly the Sanin paled in fear as his mind went to being hunted down by two enraged Jinchuriki and the Biju dwelling within them.

"I'm sure Natsuko wouldn't let them kill me… right?"

The blonde face palmed in exasperation.

***A/N***

Sorry to anyone who was waiting for the Jiraiya vs. Pein fight, I hope the one I included instead was satisfactory.

So Jiraiya appears to be alive, another fun departure from canon, and Pein is pissed, wonder what this will lead to eh?

I wanted to put in a bit of 'romance' scenes just to have some deviation from "fight fight fight, fight some more and then fight a couple more times." This marks the beginning of a _lot_ of combat chapters so I am trying to throw in a bit of other fluff to compensate.

As many can tell the two most popular 'pairings' are either Itachi or Hinata. I still haven't really decided which I like more yet, since both work so damn well.

As for the Omake… this was actually my _original_ plan for the Natsuko solo story, aka she was going to date a Kyubi that could change forms and thus introduce some Futanari goodness that normally isn't included in anything except for a pure smut story.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and the battles, I know I did.


	26. The Shadows Lengthen

**Sum of our Parts**

The Shadows Lengthen

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"Are you sure that was the best decision Lady Tsunade? I know that Jiraiya-Sama is very skilled and the best spymaster Konoha has ever produced but still…"

"Shizune you worry too much, besides he knows that if gets caught doing something stupid he will have to suffer the consequences of an enraged Hokage beating his sorry ass."

"I don't understand why you can't be nicer to your teammate… sure he is a bit eccentric and perverted but he seems to genuinely care for you."

The Hokage let out a deep sigh before closing her eyes in concentration.

"I know that, it's just that… I can't really see us ever being as close as he wants to be."

"So Jiraiya-Sama _does_ have feelings for you?" The younger woman replied with a bit of a smirk, having forced the information out of her teacher.

"Yes he does, he has for years now."

"What!? If that's true why haven't you…"

"Why haven't I what Shizune? Confessed my undying love for the man? Maybe that's because I _don't_ feel that way towards him. Maybe it's because I don't care about him as anything more than just teammates."

The dark haired Kunoichi shook her head in defeat.

"I don't know who you are trying to lie to, me or yourself… but be careful you don't end up regretting the chance you have Lady Tsunade." The girl replied before leaving the woman's office.

The Senju just snorted.

Like that would ever happen.

 _***SooP***_

Days later the Fifth Hokage would come to regret this decision.

A flash of red light alerted the woman, and the ANBU stationed in the room, to an unexpected arrival.

Looking up, and stealthily preparing herself for a fight, the village leader gaped at the sight before her.

Akane stood holding Jiraiya's arm over her should and keeping the bloody and beaten man upright as best she could.

It was clear though that he was in a critical condition.

"Wha…"

"Hold on"

With that that redhead reached out and grabbed the woman's arm, before the three vanished once more, leaving a room full of confused ANBU.

Seconds later Tsunade shook off the slight nausea from the technique and noticed that they were in a secure hospital room.

Apparently the Uzumaki had prepared even more extensively than anyone believed.

"Lay him on the bed face down go grab Shizune and Hinata I am goin…"

Before the blonde could finish her order the girl had vanished once more. Leaving the woman to hit a nearby panic button and summoning hospitals with emergency carts within minutes.

Shizune arrived a moment later, before Akane once more vanished.

 _***SooP***_

"Natsuko-chan, do you know where your sister… eep!" the Hyuga began before a flash of red light startled her from behind and the girl in question put a hand on both her sister and Hinata's shoulders.

"Onee-chan what is…"

"Jiraiya is badly wounded, Tsunade needs help. Don't forget to breathe."

"What do you…." The pale eyed girl started, before finding herself coughing and in a hospital room.

"It will pass, just breathe…"

Hinata followed the recommendation before gasping at the bloody form of the white haired Sanin on the hospital bed, already surrounded by doctors and machines.

"Hinata you are here, good. We already started a blood transfusion, I need to you start checking for any critical broken bones and then any internal bleeding we might have missed." The Hokage commanded while she and her first student were busy slowly removing large spear like devices and healing the wounds afterwards.

"Of course"

The Byakugan blazed into action as the Kunoichi's face took on a deadly serious gaze.

"What can we do?" the redhead Uzumaki inquired.

"Go find Kakashi and tell him to assemble the council for an emergency situation. Until then have him lock down the village and recall all nearby teams. No one is to leave until we figure out what happened."

Akane nodded, and glanced over at her sister who was still staring at the man's injured body.

"Stay here with them Natsuko, I will be back shortly."

The normally chipper girl merely nodded before slowly sitting down in a corner chair.

 _***SooP***_

"Ah Akane-chan what can I do for…"

"Jiraiya is in critical condition and the Hokage is trying to save him. You are to lock down the village and assemble the council as per orders."

Team seven looked a bit startled as the redhead had appeared in the middle of their training field.

What was even more shocking was how their sensei reacted.

Gone was the eye smiling and silly goof off they had all grown to love.

In his place was a man who had seen war, a former ANBU of the highest level, and a genius who had graduated the academy earlier than most had even started it.

The three Ninja were reminded of something that the man had once told them.

'There is no such thing as a _former_ ANBU.'

Kakashi's voice rang out in a stern commanding tone. A tone reserved for giving orders that were to be followed without question.

"Sasuke go find your brother and inform him that 'the shadows grow long', then inform your mother of an emergency council meeting. Sakura I want you to go and locate Team ten, have the students assemble at the Academy and tell Asuma the same code. Kiba go and do the same with Team nine. Akane find Kurenai and Anko and…"

He didn't need to finish before the girl was gone in a flash.

Kakashi disappeared with a _Sunshin_ moments later.

The remaining members of Team seven glanced curiously at each other before leaping off to accomplish their individual tasks.

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke recognized the reaction of his teacher. He had seen the same change in his brother and now was able to bear witness to it again.

The change in persona from a normal, if a bit slightly odd, Ninja to a stone cold killing machine was something that to this day sent chills down his spine.

Itachi had given the slightest nod at the command, his face already becoming deadly serious, before vanishing with a burst of speed.

His mother had been tending to the Uchiha estate when he had found her.

She gave a panicked confirmation before setting off, and telling him to go to the academy for further instructions.

 _***SooP***_

Less than an hour later the various Ninja assembled at the academy as per instructions while the council assembled elsewhere.

"So what's going on exactly? I am not a fan of being summoned by a _Chunin_ who smells like he bathes with his dog."

"I do bathe with Akamaru you ass what's wrong with that?"

"The fact that you even need to _ask_ what is wrong with this situation is telling enough kibbles."

"What did you say to me teme? Maybe we should have a quick spar while we are waiting for everyone to get here."

"I don't know, have you practiced getting thrown to the ground enough lately? I would hate for you to be out of practice and pull something before I start tossing you around like a child."

"Listen jackass just because you get lucky _most_ of the time doesn't mean that…"

"Kiba you haven't beaten Sasuke-Kun in a spar _once_ yet." The pinkette reminded the boy in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah well there's a first time for everything right guys?"

The other members of their graduating class seemed to have lost interest, and instead were talking amongst themselves at this point.

"Seriously… man I hate my friends…"

"Would you two quit bickering like children and get over here, now is not the time." Neji commanded in a stern voice.

The various members of the Konoha thirteen gathered around in a circle, missing only those from Team seven, before Sasuke broke the silence.

"We were asked to gather you all here due to a potential attack on the village. The council has been summoned to an emergency meeting, Jiraiya-Sama was severely injured, and the Hokage is currently working on healing him. My guess is this has something to do with the Akatsuki."

"That would make sense they are currently the largest threat not only to the various nations but also to his godchildren. Speaking of which where are Natsuko, Akane, and Hinata?" Tenten questioned.

"Hinata would most likely be at the hospital helping Hokage-Sama. If Jiraiya-Sama is indeed injured then I can only imagine the two Uzumaki sisters are with him." Sakura chimed in.

The conversation paused as the various Ninja fell into silence to consider the facts, before it was Choji who spoke up, "So what are we going to do? I mean we were gathered here for a reason right? It can't be just to sit around and wait for our parents to make a decision."

"No, I would think it is to keep us out of trouble. Kakashi-Sama was the one who ordered us to gather correct?" The Uchiha nodded towards the Nara heir's assumption. "Then undoubtedly they know we would try and do something stupid and reckless, especially considering some of our members…"

"HEY! I am not reckless at all and I take offense to that!" The Inuzuka clan heir shouted out.

'I wonder if he realizes what he just admitted to…' the rest of the Ninja pondered before shaking their heads.

"You charged an S-Rank Ninja head on…" the pinkette reminded the boy with a smack to the back of his head.

"So if this guy who beat up Jiraiya-Sama knows where Akane and Natsuko are then…" Ino mumbled out, allowing Lee to finish the statement for her.

"THEN HE IS COMING TO EXTINGUISH THEIR FLAMES OF YOUTH!"

"He can try… there is no chance I am going to stand by and let that happen though."

Surprisingly it was the Aburame of the group who made such a declaration, a faint buzzing being heard from him as he did so.

"Shino is right, they have protected us enough already… it is time that this village protects _them_ for once." The Akimichi agreed, punching his fists together for emphasis.

"Before we go any further I think everyone needs to know the stakes here… most likely if we pursue this course of action we _will_ be punished for it later on, up to removal of rank. Then there is the fact that our parents will probably kill us assuming that this man, who defeated a Sanin by the way, doesn't do it first. So I think we should make this statement now, if anyone does not wish to continue you may bow out and not have any consequences towards you." Sasuke called out, forcing the others silent as the glanced around.

No one budged.

"Well then I guess we are in this for the long haul… alright _genius_ what can you come up with?"

"Well I think the answer is obvious, we find the bastard and punch him in his bitch face!" Kiba declared, thinking that his teammate had been talking about him.

"He means Shikamaru… seriously how the hell are you a Chunin when the two sisters are still Genin?" Tenten inquired with a face palm.

"Well, since we don't know much about the maniac we will need to make general preparations for defeating a wide range of opponents. Obviously the most important strategy is to take him out as fast as possible, this negates any time he or she might have to adapt to the situation or start some kind of crazy Jutsu." The actual genius began.

"What happens if he isn't alone? We already know about three other members who are alive as well…" Sakura inquired.

"If we end up facing a Kage level Ninja, two immortals, and someone who can defeat a Sanin… we might as well go down in a blaze of glory, as troublesome as that is. I doubt Konoha would be able to remain standing in the face of that kind of power." The Nara finished, before pulling out a piece of paper and beginning some rough tactical sketches.

"Alright first we can try having Kiba and Neji rush in like this…"

 _***SooP***_

This was bad.

This was _very_ bad.

Itachi continued leaping across rooftops until he finally emerged at ANBU headquarters, ready for his emergency assignment.

Very few things could make this situation any worse that it already was.

Jiraiya was critically injured.

The Hokage and Hinata were busy healing him.

Anko, Gai, Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai still hadn't fully recovered from their encounters with the Akatsuki.

A Ninja powerful enough to gravely injure a Sanin was currently headed towards the village.

There were only three Biju still free from the Akatsuki's influence, and one was currently housed between two sisters he had grown quite fond of, meaning that they were going to be an even bigger target then before.

The council had been temporarily given power over the village.

His brother was most likely off doing something horrendously stupid and reckless.

Yes it was shaping up to be a very large catastrophe.

The ANBU could only hope that his brothers and sisters in arms would be prepared for this situation that they could scramble their forces, along with whatever else the village could scrape together, and form an attack unit strong enough to stop the oncoming psychopath.

Hopefully it was just the leader of the Akatsuki and not _all_ of their remaining members.

Itachi wasn't sure that Konoha could stand against eight S-Ranked criminals, at least one of whom was a Kage level Ninja who had effortlessly defeated no less than three Jonin.

 _***SooP***_

Jiraiya found himself attached to no less than a dozen machines and several bags of fluid being fed into his arms.

Of course nothing compared to the overall pain he felt from every inch of his body, the man had experienced near death states before but none quite like this.

Moments later his former teammate entered the room to check on him, and gave a small smile.

"Good to see you are awake Jiraiya."

"How long have I been out?"

"Just over a day." A voice called out from the corner of the room, revealing the two Uzumaki sisters sitting patiently.

"Wh-what happened? I remember fighting against Pein and…"

"Which we will be talking about after you are recovered by the way. What part of 'Don't go after any of them by yourself' don't you understand?"

"Well one thing lead to another and… wait how did I get back here then?"

"Onee-chan rescued you silly."

The Sage's reaction was not one any of them had expected.

"What the hell were you thinking!? You could have been captured! I expected better from you!"

The redhead's eyes widened as she leaned away slightly in shock from the man.

"Jiraiya that's enough! She saved your…"

"No it's not! She put everyone in danger just to save one person's life that is _not_ what being a Ninja is about! What if she hadn't been fast enough in retreating? What if Pein had captured and extracted the Kyubi from her huh?"

"Ero-Sensei please…" Natsuko started, tears already forming in her eyes.

"No, not this time, she made a serious mistake in going there and she needs to understand that. Mistakes like that could cost missions and lives in the future."

"I… understand. If that is all Hokage-San I wish to leave and continue my training."

The Senju woman barely had time to nod before the redhead vanished from the room.

Natsuko ran out moments later, trying to hide her tears from the two Sanin.

"What the hell is wrong with you Jiraiya! She saved your life you dumbass and then you go and tell her she was wrong?"

"She was wrong, she should have…"

"Left you there to die? Lost one of the few people she cares about in the world? Damaged the spy network beyond repair? Allowed one of the most powerful Ninja we have to be killed in an unauthorized mission?"

"Would it really matter if I died? It's not like everything I care about isn't going to be taken from me anyway."

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

The white haired man snorted in response before replying.

"We both know that you still care for the Namikaze and not me, and once he sees the error of his ways he will come and be their grandfather. I will lose the only three things I care about in this world again. She should have just left me there to die as a Shinobi. My last act would have been giving you the key to defea…"

The slap that followed echoed through the room.

"How… dare you! You have no right to assume who I do and do not care about. As for those two girls… are you really so blind that you don't see the way they love you? You are the father figure they never had, the family they always wanted. Now you are throwing it away because you think some Akatsuki jerk is going to waltz in and they will instantly discard you? Does that sound like either of them to you?"

"It sounds like the way my life has always been…"

Tsunade could only stare in shock at the man's defeated tone, the way he stared off to the side and avoided her gaze.

This was not the Jiraiya she had been partnered with, had grown up with.

This was not the man she secretly admired and even cared for… maybe more than she wanted to admit.

"Whenever Jiraiya of the Sanin wishes to come back to us and leave this pathetic excuse of a person behind you let me know. I need to speak to him about quite a few things."

With that the woman made one final check on the machines before leaving the room.

 _***SooP***_

"What can we do about this situation? Whoever it was seriously injured one of the most powerful Ninjas in the village and now we are virtually blind without the spy network." One of the council members fretted out.

"Amazing how much we can come to rely on one thing and not even realize it until it has been taken away. Konoha has survived without Jiraiya in the past and we will do so again. For now though actions must be taken against the Akatsuki." Shikaku replied out, glancing around the table at those assembled.

"We know that they are targeting Jinchuriki correct, why not just let them have the brats?" One civilian cried out, hoping to sway the others as well.

"Indeed! For too long have we 'put up with' their existence defiling our perfect village. Now we have the perfect reason to finally be rid of them once and for all!" Another agreed, and earned nods from several others.

"So let me get this straight… in your _infinite_ wisdom and knowledge of Ninja affairs you want to rid the village of its two Jinchuriki. Thereby significantly weakening our military power as well as exiling two of the most promising Ninja we have _ever_ had. Along with this you are going to degrade our relations with Suna, who are basically our allies _because_ of the two girls." Asuma pointed out, sarcasm oozing from his voice.

Most of the members had the decency to look defeated, save for one or two rather stupid individuals who continued nodding, as if their goals made perfect sense.

"Part of me wonders why the hell we even have a joint council on these sorts of topics…" Tsume muttered out in annoyance.

"The solution is simple we need to strike at the Akatsuki… hard." Kakashi, who had been the stand in for the Hokage, declared in a no nonsense voice.

"How exactly do you want to do that Kakashi? It's not like we have the power to find and attack them right now _and_ keep up a strong front to the other villages." Inoichi reminded the former ANBU.

"Then we get the other villages into a temporary truce, at least until the situation is sorted out. If they have been losing Jinchuriki like our intel suggests then they can't afford to attack us either right now." The silver haired man reminded those assembled.

"Then it's decided, once Jiraiya is recovered and we are able to locate one of those maniacs… we begin eliminating them with _extreme_ prejudice." Shikaku ordered, earning nods from the other council members.

 _***SooP***_

"What do you think we should do onee-chan?"

The redhead glanced towards her, still upset, sister and gave her a small comforting smile.

"The man definitely recognized me, which means there is a chance he is coming after us next. We need to keep the others out of this. If he was able to defeat Jiraiya then he poses a serious threat to anyone else. So let's see what we can learn from this." At her last statement the redhead pulled out one of the weapons that had been lodged in the Sanin's back and handed it to her sister, who entered _Sage Mode_ a moment later to try and unravel some of its mysteries.

 _***SooP***_

"We have a situation"

"Obviously, I have received word that your _leader_ is making his way towards Konoha."

"He is, more worrisome though is the fact that Jiraiya appears to have survived their battle. While he will not be healthy enough to participate in any kind of defense I have no doubt that he will pass on information to the other Ninjas and give them a fighting chance against Pein."

"So what do you intend to do?"

"For now nothing, if he falls we will need to recover his remains though."

"What will happen to the Akatsuki after that?"

"I will take command obviously. That is one of the reasons I called this meeting."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I wish to make an agreement with you."

"What kind of agreement?"

The masked man paused for a moment, considering his options before continuing on.

"You wish to have the vengeance that was denied to you. You wish to see Konoha burn. I can grant you both of these in exchange for your aid."

"My revenge against the village has already been taken. Hiruzen is dead and…"

"But the redhead who prevented his fall lives…"

The pale Sanin paused, before a sickening smile fell over his face.

"Go on…"

"We will deliver Akane Uzumaki's body to you as proof of her demise, along with this I will aid you in obtaining what was denied by her sister… a living Uchiha."

Orochimaru's grin grew even wider.

"Once her sister is dead the remaining Uzumaki will be hopelessly distraught. We will be able to extract the remaining portion of the Kyubi from her and then give you her remains as well for your studies. All we ask for in return is for you to utilize your contact in Konoha to separate the two sisters and send them out of the village, away from their protection."

"This seems quite one sided in my favor… what is the catch?"

"I want your _Edo Tensei_ army that you have been preparing… all of it."

The snake summoner glared in annoyance, the man projected in front of him knew far more than he should, far more than even Jiraiya knew.

Still… the chance at having the pristine remains of a Mokuton user, along with his vengeance against the redheaded bitch and a living Uchiha to transfer into…

Orochimaru would have given virtually anything for such a prize.

"Deal, I shall contact my… friend… in Konoha shortly and promise him something ridiculous in return for his aid. There is one more thing I want though… once you have your army I want you to use it to destroy Konoha once and for all."

"Do not worry about that… nothing shall remain of that forsaken place." The voice faded out as the image projected by the Akatsuki ring vanished.

The Sanin knew it had been wise to hang onto it after his departure from the group.

 _***SooP***_

Jiraiya bolted upright in his hospital bed, sweat pouring down his face.

Sometime in the last few days most of the machines had been removed due to his recovery and his wounds had healed enough for him to be able to at least function.

"Pein… he's here…" The white haired man muttered out as he pushed himself off the bed and made his way to the door only to encounter Tsunade as she was coming in to check on his status.

The two former teammates locked eyes for a moment, before Jiraiya broke the stare down and glanced downwards apologetically.

"Hime… those things I said… I'm…"

"It's about time you got off your lazy ass you pervert. Now tell me what happened so that we can formulate a strategy."

"No time… he is approaching the village."

The Hokage's eyes widened in shock as she turned to one of her ANBU guards, "Find all the Jonin and ANBU still in the village. Then get the two Uzumaki sisters to the bunker under the tower, I don't care if you have to drag them there."

The masked man nodded before disappearing in a blur of _Sunshin_.

"If something happens to them…"

"It won't, don't worry Jiraiya we have this covered. You have been recovering for two days. Do you really think we have been sitting around reading smut like Kakashi wanted? We already have a strate…"

Her statement was interrupted by another ANBU appearing in the doorway.

"Hokage-Sama, the forces you requested are gathering but… the two Uzumaki sisters are nowhere to be found. Word is that they left the village several hours ago."

"Oh no…"

 _***Omake***_

"So Natsuko-Chan, what is this I hear about you dating someone?" Ino, not so subtly, inquired.

The other members of their class perked up immediately. Ino was a bit too gossipy most of the time but none of them could say that she wasn't at least entertaining some of the time.

"Oh yeah Kyu-chan is the best!"

The others blinked in confusion.

"Uh is that short for something Natsuko? I haven't heard of any other Ninja named 'Kyu'… unless you are dating a civilian?" Tenten inquired, while the others cringed slightly at the thought of dating a non-Ninja.

Sure there was nothing inherently wrong with it, but trying to balance a life of constant death and danger with a peaceful existing one was normally impossible.

"Yep it stands for 'Kyuubi" the blonde happily answered as if nothing were wrong.

The shocked expressions on the other Chunin and Jonin's faces said otherwise.

"Wh-what the hell do you mean you're dating the Kyuubi!? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?" Kiba roared out.

"Well it's a bit difficult sometimes since she can't leave my body but I can change my 'mindscape' at will so it's really fun."

"What do you mean 'mindscape'?" Neji inquired, ignoring the Inuzuka's stammering.

"Well she exists in my soul and mind… kinda… so like I can change the setting to whatever I want. We went to the beach one day and then a mountain resort another. Then there was skiing and swimming under the oceans, and that day we just flew around in the air for the entire time."

"Wait you can fly!?" Kiba once again interrupted.

"No you moron… Kami how did you become a Chunin... If it is in her _mind_ then she can alter whatever she sees fit, hence the flying." Sasuke responded, earning a glare from his teammate.

"Yep! Anyway since Kyu-Chan has lived a _long_ time she has all kinds of fun experiences and memories that we can use."

The others nodded, ignoring the shock from their friend dating a centuries old demon for the time being.

"So how exactly did you start dating?" Sakura asked, always a bit curious about romantic couples.

"Well Ero-Sensei was working with onee-chan that day and I was left to work on some Jutsu when I realized that if I was feeling a bit lonely then she must have been as well. So I went into my mind like I have been doing since I was young and spent a few hours talking to her."

"WAIT _HER_!?"

"Kiba if you don't let the poor girl finish one complete thought I will gut you like a trout." The Hyuga muttered out in annoyance, before gesturing the Genin to continue.

"Well after I saw how happy it made her to have some company I just started spending a few hours every day doing that and it just sort of happened."

"How can you date something so _evil_ though?" the feral boy mumbled in anger.

"She is _not evil_. Sure she attacked Konoha but someone else was manipulating her and besides Ninja attack other villages all the time without remorse so why should it be any different for her?"

The others stopped and thought for a moment. The blonde raised a good point. Ninja were almost constantly in a war like state and did far more despicable things than just targeting enemy villages. Why was it that there was so much hatred towards Biju when they did the same?

"HOW INCREDIBLY YOUTHFUL NATSUKO-CHAN! TELL US WHEN WE COULD MEET THIS YOUTHFUL WOMAN!?"

The others looked back in horror at the boy before the blonde happily giggled before closing her eyes briefly.

 **"You can meet me right now Lee."**

Several of the Ninja promptly fainted.

 _***Omake 2***_

"Excuse me Akane-chan may I have a word with you?"

The redhead paused, glancing back at the older Uchiha with a curious look and shrugged before nodding.

"It has come to my attention that the Hokage is worried about your… social development and wishes for you to form closer relationships with others in the village."

"That's correct"

"I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner tonight."

The redhead looked a bit confused for a moment, before opening her mouth to respond.

Fortunately Natsuko beat her to it.

"Onee-chan would love to! I assume you would like to pick her up from baa-chan's house?"

"That would be fine."

"Good how about around six?" the blonde continued, not allowing her sister to respond for herself.

"Very good I will see you then Akane-chan."

With that the Uchiha departed, leaving a stunned, and still silent, redhead behind.

"Natsuko… what was that? You know I am currently spending time with Hinata."

"Oh I know onee-chan, don't you worry about that though this is just a date. It's not like you have to marry the guy or Hinata-chan… or both."

Akane shook her head before continuing on towards their home, while her sister lingered back glancing to the alleyway she knew their other teammate had ducked into when she overheard the conversation.

"I'm sorry Hinata-chan, I know you care about my sister but… she needs to form more friendships. I worry about her you know…"

The pale eyed girl emerged, forcing back the tears from escaping and giving a slight nod.

"Yes… I know. I want her to have more friends too I guess I am just… being selfish."

"No you're not you are too nice for that. Tell you what Hinata-chan how about we go out tonight? That way you and Akane-chan are even."

In that moment a plan burst into Hinata's mind. If she could continue dating Akane, and somehow begin dating Natsuko as well it would only be a matter of time until she could 'suggest' that they go on dates with just the three of them. She knew Akane would never connect with the Uchiha on the same level as they could. After all, the redhead had too many bad experiences with men and Hinata was one of the few people that the two sisters _did_ trust.

Those private dates would lead to quiet evenings at the Senju compound, after all Hinata _was_ still training with Tsunade.

This would turn into slumber parties which would eventually become…

Hinata forced herself not to pass out at the images that now flowed through her mind.

"I would like that very much Natsuko-chan, how about I pick you up at six as well?"

'Maybe I can even make Akane-chan a bit jealous at the same time.'

"It's a date Hinata-chan!" the blonde proclaimed before happily skipping off after her sister.

"Oh it is indeed Natsuko-chan… it is indeed."

***A/N***

This chapter was a lot harder for me than I would like to admit, I finished it really early but it was really short and then I had trouble coming up with what else to add in.

That's one of the reasons there are two Omakes rather than just one, I didn't want to cheat my readers out of my normal chapter length.

All in all though I am fairly happy with the way it all turned out, sure Jiraiya was a bit of an ass but I feel like he might be with all the stress going on in his life.

Next chapter will be the long awaited Pein battle, and I hope to make it the most exciting fight yet!

Hope everyone enjoyed!


	27. Duel for Peace

**Sum of our Parts**

Duel for Peace

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

Six figures strolled through the open field on their way towards Konoha.

Six orange haired individuals in matching cloaks, with various odd piercings

Six Paths of Pein

The objectives were simple. Defeat the two Jinchuriki, finish off Jiraiya, and lay waste to the village that had forsaken them in their time of need, just another stepping stone for a living God.

He was sure that the two brats would be in the village, after all Zetsu had confirmed that they hadn't left the area after returning and keeping the Sanin alive.

Why was it that the villages always kept their Jinchuriki in such obvious places? If they truly believed the Akatsuki to be a threat they should have just hidden them in some underground bunker somewhere until actions could be taken.

If they did _not_ see the Akatsuki as a threat… then they were fools.

Just as the six creations reached the half way point in the clearing they halted, having caught sight of a red and yellow haired pair of individuals walking towards them from the direction of Konoha.

Apparently the village was even more foolish than originally believed, Pein had taken down a Sanin with hardly an injury, and his target is sent out to meet him in open combat?

Pathetic

The two sisters came to a halt around thirty feet from the assembled warriors.

Two stood against six.

Children stood against a God.

"Not a very wise choice Jinchuriki of the Nine Tails. There are no allied forces within miles of us." The Deva Path called out.

"That's the point orange haired-kun."

All six of the bodies had an eye twitch at the nickname.

"My name is Pein. I am the leader of the Akatsuki and the one who will bring true peace to this world."

"Considering that you are going to die here, I highly doubt it." The redhead replied, her tone deadly serious.

"Oh? You wish to challenge a God? Then by all means…"

The six immediately leapt into their 'tactical formation' while the two girls settled into stances of their own.

The battle for the fate of Konoha had begun.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko began a fury of hand signs before slamming her palm onto the ground.

 _"Earth Release: Dust Storm"_

A second later the ground was thrown up into the surrounding air, cloaking and concealing everything not within a few feet of the individuals.

Pein noted, with a bit of annoyance, that the dust seemed to be laced with Chakra and thus prevented his enhanced eyes from being of any use.

Regardless these children would fall before him, just like all the others who dared to defy his will.

A whirling sound emanated from where the blonde had been standing as a glow pierced through the darkened air.

As the object sped into sight the Human Path immediately grabbed ahold of the, far more valuable, Naraka Path and threw it out of harm's way before attempting to dodge itself.

Unfortunately the whirling shuriken-like object expanded, catching the creature and exploding violently along with the corpse.

'So they are going to use the dust to prevent us from dodging at range… clever' Pein mused, before the Asura path was sliced into pieces from behind, revealing Akane who quickly ducked back into the smoke screen to avoid retaliation by the remaining four.

"Enough of this trickery!" the Animal Path cried out before summoning a massive ox and rhino and sending them charging forwards.

What he had overlooked was the fact that they were large enough to be seen from outside of the concealed area, thus bringing down the blades of three large summoned toads, one of which was Gamabunta himself.

Another _Rasenshuriken_ tore through the darkness, this time heading towards the summoning Path.

The Preta Path was ready and, leaping in front of the attack, absorbed the spinning sphere of destruction.

"You dare to try and make a mockery of a God!?" Deva shouted out, before extending its hands.

 _'Shinra Tensei'_

Immediately the Chakra filled dust was repelled violently away from the battlefield, revealing the three toads and two Uzumaki sisters.

 _***SooP***_

"Well that wasn't very nice… I really liked our plan of using our super awesome hearing to locate them while they wandered around aimlessly" Natsuko pouted as her sister returned to her side.

"I don't think 'nice' is what he is aiming for but it was a very good plan Natsuko. At least we got rid of…."

Akane's reply was interrupted as the Naraka Path resurrected both of the fallen orange haired creations.

"Well that is certainly an annoying technique." The redhead muttered, her mind already spinning on how to get rid of the man able to return those they destroyed.

The two sisters gave each other a slight nod before charging in towards their opponents, intending on forcing them to the defensive before any further complications could arise.

 _***SooP***_

Dozens of 'Natsukos' rained down from the sky as the blonde formed the seal for her favorite Jutsu.

Immediately the Six Peins began their assault, with the Human and Naraka staying back with the Deva Path for support and defense.

The others were under no such stipulation though, which was evident as the Asura began launching dozens of bladed projectiles, dispelling groups of the blonde en masse.

Then there was the Animal Path, who brought forth another handful of massive creatures, some of which began to engage the Toad summonings in order to keep them out of the conflict.

Finally the Chakra absorber stayed with the other two offensive minded corpses, absorbing any stray ranged Jutsu that the blonde might throw at them.

Akane, in the meantime, moved to the flank, hoping to get the drop on at least one of their opponents before being spotted.

A few moments later the redhead spotted her opening and threw a handful of shuriken towards the Preta Path.

Before they could even cross half the distance her target had already leapt out of the way, seemingly without any type of warning.

'How was he able to spot that without even looking… Does he have a Dojutsu like Hinata?'

Akane was brought from her musings by an attack from Asura, forcing her to abandon any more chances of sneak attacking the six.

After that Akane began watching far closer, and began noticing the pattern. They were able to see through each other's eyes, or at least communicate telepathically to each other.

"Natsuko split them up."

The blonde quickly went through a series of hand signs before unleashing a massive barrage of Mokuton roots and trees, which turned the area from a clear and open field into a heavily foliaged forest.

The Jutsu also forced the six to leap into various directions, with trees and spikes firing up from random spots, thus separating them from each other.

All of the Paths narrowed their eyes in annoyance, finding themselves split up and being unable to utilize one of their greatest strengths.

 _***SooP***_

The Naraka Path was targeted first, with its power of restoring the others easily identified.

A _Rasenshuriken_ tore its way from the top of a nearby tree and descended down upon it, forcing the corpse to leap out of the way and avoid a majority of the damage.

Unfortunately it hadn't been fast enough, without the use of multiple perspectives, to dodge all of the damage.

With one of the arms badly damaged, the Path decided on fleeing to try and reunite with the others, hopefully to avoid any further damage and prevent the blonde's assault.

It almost worked too, with it catching sight of the Asura just before Natsuko fell from a nearby branch, smashing two powerful _Rasengan_ into its back and tearing the torso into pieces.

The mechanized warrior quickly descended upon the girl, who was forced onto the defensive to avoid the traps and weapons that fired from it.

It was at that point that her _Sage Mode_ ended, and she was thrown backwards by a powerful explosion that she was unable to dodge without her enhanced speed.

"A pity, without your enhanced abilities you are no match for us. You should have known that your technique would not last forever and now that…"

The ranting was interrupted by the bright grin of the blonde, who made a single hand sign, thus opening up the nearby trunk of a tree and revealing another blonde, who was sitting in a meditative position.

The clone dispelled, allowing the Uzumaki to return to her enhanced form instantly, thus allowing her to launch another _Rasenshuriken_ towards her opponent.

 _***SooP***_

The Preta Path was busy leaping through the trees, trying to get its bearings on the other Paths' locations.

Most worrisome was to reach the Naraka, and protect the one who could return their destroyed forms to normal.

If it was defeated in battle then the two Uzumaki sisters, though already showing signs of fatigue, could potentially cause enough damage that an assault on Konoha would be impossible.

There was no doubt of victory though, even with their tricks and Jutsu.

None could stand before a God.

A slight rustle of the grass from behind alerted the Chakra absorber of an enemy presence, allowing it to leap out of the way from a sword slash that would have certainly cut it in two.

The corpse landed on a nearby tree branch glaring in slight annoyance. Of course it would be the sister who it was least effective in combating.

No sooner had it taken stock of this fact when it was forced to dodge out of the path of another powerful Kenjutsu thrust, which split the tree in two from where it had stood moments prior.

As the two warriors came to a halt on the ground the Path charged forward, intending on engaging the girl in as close of combat as possible.

All it had to do was force her into a grapple hold and she would be sapped of her remaining strength.

Then the remaining Jinchuriki would fall to their fury.

What 'Preta' was not prepared for was its target dodging out of the way so easily, almost as if she knew where it would strike before the attack even came.

The information that Zetsu had retrieved mentioned that the girl was skilled in Taijutsu… but nothing to this extent.

Luckily it was able to dodge one of her punches and seize her extended arm.

Just as it did so the Chakra drain began, showing some visible effect until it was forced to dodge a kunai thrust that would have tore into its throat.

Still, it showed that as skilled as the Kunoichi was she could be defeated, especially in a prolonged fight. This also had the advantage of allowing the others to team up on the blonde and remove the far more dangerous of the two combatants from the field.

Akane glared in annoyance before launching a flurry of kunai towards the creature, all of which were dodged until the last was caught by the corpse with ease.

"Pitiful, one should not use up their weapons unless there is a plan of action behind it. Such actions show that you are too young and naïve to be a…"

The girl vanished in a flash of red light, only to appear directly to the warrior's side, her blade already thrusting forward as she teleported to the marked kunai that had been caught.

A split second later her katana completely bisected the Path at its hip, leaving the upper torso to fall to the ground.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko dodged out of the path of, yet another, explosive projectile launched by her robotic opponent.

The young Uzumaki was infinitely glad that she had been able to catch up with this adversary while her sister went after the Chakra absorbing one. She was not sure that she could have easily defeated an enemy who could stop all of her ranged attacks, and could not bear the thought of her sister being injured by this monster.

Another round of projectiles was fired towards her, earning an earthen wall being raised to prevent the explosions, and provide a barrier against any continued assault.

The Asura Path just chuckled slightly, before opening its head to reveal a strange mechanical device, which gathered a large amount of energy and easily blasted through the barricade.

What it had not been expecting was the fact that the other side did not contain the young blonde, in fact she was nowhere to be found.

Where had the brat gone? Surely she was not fast enough to…

The corpse received its answer a moment later when it was forced to leap backwards to avoid a series of ground spikes… and ran directly into a _Rasengan_ that the blonde had formed a split second earlier. The whirling mass of Chakra tore into its back, causing severe damage and throwing it forward to the ground.

The ball of sunshine always did enjoy the Jutsu that allowed her to move through the ground like she was swimming.

What the Kunoichi hadn't expected was how resilient this Path was, allowing a compartment on its leg to open up and fire a series of senbon into her arm, which had been instantly raised to block the retaliatory assault.

Natsuko swore silently, before being informed by the Kyuubi that they were not poisoned.

That slight hesitation cost the girl as her opponent was able to leap to his feet and launch a projectile, which impacted directly in front of her, causing another explosion and throwing the poor girl backwards.

"Foolish… to drop one's guard during battle is…."

What the mechanical man hadn't seen was the hand signs that the girl had made while being thrown backwards, allowing for roots to tear their way up through its feet and into the torso of the corpse itself.

Moments later the Mokuton attack ripped outwards, breaking the girl's target into hundreds of smaller pieces and rendering any further attack impossible.

 _***SooP***_

As the redheaded sister leapt through the tree tops she cursed silently as the Animal and Human path reunited with each other.

This was something she had been hoping to avoid, especially without any knowledge of what the first was capable of. If it wielded any sort of combat ability then her task of quickly dealing with the summoner would be that much more difficult.

After quickly forming a plan in her mind the girl launched a silent flurry of kunai, hoping to catch the more dangerous of the two off guard and remove, or at least hinder, its combat ability.

Even the slight sound of the metal passing through the air alerted the two, however, and allowed them time to dodge out of the path.

A large centipede-like creature immediately burst into creation, and was sent roaring towards where the attack had emanated from. This attack forced Akane out of hiding and onto another tree limb where she was ambushed by a massive dog, which sent her flying to the ground from the impact.

Despite being able to recover midair the Uzumaki was unprepared for the multi-directional assault once she landed.

Summoned creatures attacked from every angle imaginable, including from below, as the redhead desperately continued dodging backwards.

Even with her incredible speed she was unable to completely stay out of danger, and received more than a few bruises and cuts for her trouble.

"It is inevitable, you cannot continue this pattern forever and soon you will fall." The Animal Path called out, while the other corpse remained on the defensive, ready to intervene and defend against any attack that the girl might be able to launch.

Their mutual enemy responded by launching a large group of smoke bombs, coating the area she was in and obstructing their view of her long enough for the Kunoichi to sprint out from underneath the dog summon, heading straight for the summoner with impressive speed.

Luckily the Human Path was able to intervene, placing itself in front of her sword slash.

What it hadn't been able to see, until it was far too late, was the slight glow of a seal being activated on her chest… and her eyes becoming vertical slits like a toad.

Her blade cut through the first opponent easily, but the obstruction had allowed for the Animal Path to avoid that attack.

At least it appeared to until it to fell to the ground, nearly cut in two in the exact same way.

"B-but how?"

Instead of answering the girl brought down her sword, decapitating her opponent before the summoned creatures could retaliate.

Akane would have to remember to thank her sister for suggesting the idea of focusing the Natural Energy through her mother's blade, thus extending its reach much like it did for their Taijutsu.

 _***SooP***_

The remaining Path growled in anger.

The others had been defeated far too easily by these two children.

This meant that it was up to this remaining body to defeat them and bring down the vengeance of a God upon the village.

Luckily this was child's play to the most powerful of those who called themselves 'Pein'.

First the two Jinchuriki would have to be defeated, and their Biju removed.

The slightest of footsteps allowed the remaining corpse to dodge out of the path of an attack by the redhead, and deliver a powerful kick to her side in retaliation.

Before any further attack could be launched it was once again forced to dodge, this time out of the path of a series of _Air Bullets_ from the girl's sister.

This conveniently bought the first Kunoichi enough time to escape back among the trees and prepare for another attack.

The Deva Path would no longer be abiding by their rules.

Since the others were defeated it no longer was forced to hold back its true power, and thus it unleashed the wrath of Pein upon the area.

 _***SooP***_

"Onee-chan are you alright?" The blonde asked in a concerned tone to her sister, who was still flinching slightly.

"Yeah I will be fine, but I am all for ending this battle as soon as possible. I am running low on energy and I have already used up my Natural Energy that was stored in the seal."

"Well maybe we should take a short break and let you gather some more, plus I can make a few more clones to start with their gathering again and…"

Suddenly the blonde's eyes widened as the Kyuubi shouted out in concern for her to take cover.

Less than a second later the forest created by the Jinchuriki was torn asunder by waves of intense gravitational force.

Trees were upended

Roots were torn from the ground

The toad summonings were forced to return back to their holy mountain to recover.

Both sisters were thrown through the air by the raw power exuded by the Rinnegan wielder.

 _***SooP***_

The orange haired man gazed out at the raw destruction he had wrought.

The forest that the blonde brat had created was no longer in existence, and he could now spot the two sisters lying on the ground several hundred feet away.

With a slight smirk the Path waited patiently for its power to recharge, confident that even if the two recovered before that they would be considerably weakened.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko managed to push herself up off the ground with a groan before glancing around, and found her sister in a similarly injured state.

The worst part was that the shockwave of… whatever the hell had happened turned the entire forest into a mass of shrapnel and projectiles.

Both girls had been pierced by dozens of splinters and pieces of wood.

The blonde would quickly recover, after removing the offending obstacles, due to the Biju's assistance.

Her sister was not as lucky.

Akane had never been protected by her portion of the Kyuubi, and thus even if she hadn't sealed the creature off she would not have been healed by it.

The redhead coughed up blood as she managed to lift herself off the ground, and looked over to ensure her sister's safety.

"Are you…. okay?" the more mature Uzumaki managed to ask between gasps.

Natsuko nodded slowly, tears stinging at her eyes at the concern that her sister continued to show for her.

"We need to get out of here onee-chan, if he continues doing stuff like that…"

"He will… attack Konoha… next."

The blonde froze, as images of Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kurenai, Anko, Hinata, and their other friends passed through her mind.

They could not allow this madman to reach their village.

He had to be stopped, no matter the cost.

 _***SooP***_

While her sister took some time to recover Natsuko went on the offensive, launching a massive wave of water towards her opponent, who merely extended his hand and fired a concentrated blast of gravity through the attack and towards its creator.

Luckily the blonde had anticipated the reaction and leapt to the side, while going through more hand signs.

Large earthen spikes shot forth from the ground behind the corpse, who was forced to dodge out of the way at the last moment.

This action bought the _Kage Bunshin_ that the blonde had created enough time to flank around him and launch a massive flurry of kunai, which were promptly repelled with a greenish barrier.

'Why does he only block _some_ of the times…' Natsuko pondered as she fired a barrage of _Air Bullets_ , which were promptly avoided as well.

The orange haired creature promptly brought forth a black rod and threw it towards the girl, hoping to disrupt the constant flow of attacks.

The blonde was able to dodge, albeit barely.

Before the Path could capitalize on the distraction a flurry of kunai assailed his position from where the girl's sister stood.

In response Pein had summoned another rod and used it to parry or deflect each of the weapons, before its eyes widened as the girl appeared in a red flash behind him, where one of the weapons had ended up after being dodged.

Her sword cut through the air towards his neck in an attempt to end the fight… but her injuries had grown too great for her to move at full speed.

Deva reversed its left hand, before firing a point blank blast of force into the Kunoichi's torso, launching her backwards and causing severe internal damage.

Upon spinning around the Path attempted to follow up by throwing the Chakra rod and impaling the Jinchuriki with it, only to be smashed aside by a massive Mokuton root.

After recovering a split second later the orange haired creation glanced up and felt a slight shiver of fear roll down its spine.

Natsuko stood atop a large series of roots and plant life, her _Sage Mode_ obvious, glaring down at him with raw fury.

The stories about enraged Mokuton wielders were not to be taken lightly.

 _***SooP***_

The tide of combat had once again turned in the favor of the Jinchuriki, with the Deva Path forced to dodge every few seconds out of the path of yet another attack.

His only attempts at offensive had been met with various wooden and earthen structures rising up to absorb the blow and allowing the girl to move from the destructive path.

Both were using Chakra at a massive rate, and both knew that the battle would not go on for much longer.

It was Pein who acted first, throwing a barrage of Chakra rods towards the girl and forcing her to raise up a shield in order to block the assault.

Just as it predicted she would

The rods seemed to disrupt the technique as a whole, and the various roots began to wither and crumble without the supporting energy inside.

Natsuko was forced to abandon the technique and leap to the ground, only to be engaged with her adversary in close combat.

Even with the extra combat training the blonde was no match for the experienced warrior at such close proximities, and was quickly overwhelmed with several well placed Taijutsu strikes.

Not for the first time did the normally happy girl curse her over reliance on ranged combat, as compared to her teachers and teammates.

Just as the orange haired corpse managed to impale her with a Chakra rod the girl managed to switch spots with one of her few remaining clones, thus avoiding the potentially fatal attack.

She only had time and Chakra for one more attack, and the slight movement in her peripheral vision told her exactly what she had to do.

Concentrating the last of her Natural Energy the girl formed one final _Rasenshuriken_ and tossed it towards her opponent, who easily deflected the attack with its powers.

What it hadn't seen though, was the fact that Akane had managed to recover enough to be mobile once more, and was able to intercept the lethal weapon.

Reaching out with her right hand the girl caught the spinning blades, creating a static discharge as the seal on her hand repelled the wind enhanced Chakra.

With a spin the Kunoichi launched the attack back towards their opponent, who turned just in time to see the deadly ability approaching, and realizing that the recharge time was still in effect.

Still the Path dodged out of the way, avoiding the attack but not the complete blast radius.

The currents of wind tore into the corpse, rendering its entire right arm useless and severely limiting its mobility.

Enraged, Pein launched a powerful gravitational blast towards the redhead, causing even further damage and rendering her unconscious.

 _***SooP***_

"AKANE-CHAN!"

The blonde ran towards where she witnessed her sister's fall before being pulled towards their opponent.

A hand wrapped around her neck as she was slammed into the ground.

The Path quickly produced a Chakra rod and swung it down, intending on impaling her hand into the ground with it.

Instead its arm was halted midway through the attack by the Kunoichi.

Her eyes became slitted, her Chakra red with fury.

She had _just_ started tapping into the Kyuubi's power.

A vicious kick launched the corpse into the air, where it promptly recovered and landed, albeit not as gracefully as intended.

Just as it touched the ground a fist slammed into its face, breaking the nose and knocking out several teeth of the Deva Path.

Stumbling backwards Pein attempted a retaliatory gravity blast, only for it to lose track of the blonde from sheer speed.

She kept to, the far more damaged, right side of her adversary and delivered another kick to her opponent's stomach.

Pein stumbled once more, this time opting to try for a Chakra rod attack instead of the more damaging blast.

The spear-like object was easily avoided as Natsuko gracefully weaved under it… and impaled her claw enhanced arm through the remaining Path's chest.

Thus the last of the six constructs was destroyed.

 _***SooP***_

"Remind me again what the strategy is?"

"Seriously kibbles, this is like the third time we have had to tell you."

"Actually Sasuke-kun it is the fourth."

"The plan is that you, Lee, Choji, and I will charge forward and create a distraction. Meanwhile Sasuke, Shikamaru, Tenten-chan, and Shino will flank the enemies. At this point Ino and Sakura will aid with Genjutsu wherever needed and Hinata will go and check on the two Uzumaki sisters." Neji commanded as the group continued to leap through the forest towards where Ino had identified the Chakra signatures.

"Oh yeah… well it's not like we will _need_ the help anyway. The men can handle any enemies just fine, right guys?" The Inuzuka boasted.

"Remind me again who was left standing during our last encounter with the Akatsuki Kiba? If I remember correctly it was Akane, Natsuko, Hinata, Sakura, and me." Tenten pointed out with a slight smirk.

"Okay that totally doesn't count, Sakura is a non combatant, you are a ranged specialist, and Hinata was focusing on healing everyone else."

"What the hell do you mean I am a 'non combatant'? Also you forgot the two sisters in your little analysis."

"No I didn't, they don't count. Besides what I meant is that you are like Ino… you kinda stay out of the real fighting while you just sort of lend support, right teme?"

Sasuke wisely chose to stay out of the conversation, knowing full well not to invoke his girlfriend's wrath.

The pinkette and blonde growled in response, but before they could comment further Choji interrupted.

"Wait, why don't Akane and Natsuko count?"

"I believe his logic is that since both sisters seem to be far beyond what any of us are capable of it would be like comparing us to experienced Jonin rather than other members of our class." Shino pointed out in a stoic tone.

"Yeah exactly"

Sakura attempted to make a scathing remark, before Hinata silenced them.

"Quiet! We are reaching the clearing that Ino pointed out, prepare for operation…"

 _***SooP***_

The blonde Uzumaki was checking over her sister when a battle cry echoed through the clearing, "AWWWWWWWW YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The Kunoichi immediately leapt to her feet, while the Kyuubi sent a rush of Chakra through her sister should they encounter any further members of the Akatsuki.

Instead Kiba, along with Akamaru, burst through the foliage coming to a skidding halt and assuming a 'battle pose'.

"I guess that does count as a 'distraction'." Neji muttered out in annoyance as he also leapt into the clearing.

Moments later the rest of the team joined from various directions as Neji gave the all clear.

"Oh shit, Akane needs help! Hold on I know some…"

Before the Inuzuka could come within twenty feet of the injured girl a massive spike of power tore through the air, forcing the various reinforcing Ninja to go wide eyed in shock.

 **"I will warn you only one time not to approach my sister."**

The Shinobi took a step back in fear, as Natsuko stood next to her sibling, cloaked in what appeared to be fiery red Chakra and fury.

"N-Natsuko-chan please, I can help her… It's me Hinata." The pale eyed girl pleaded out, as she slowly advanced on her teammates.

This seemed to have the desired effect as the blonde collapsed from exhaustion, with Hinata rushing forward to help her.

 _***SooP***_

"So what happened here?" Shino inquired as Hinata began treatment on Akane.

"We defeated the leader of the Akatsuki."

The assembled Ninja went wide eyed at the blonde's statement.

Sure they all knew that the two sisters were skilled, hell everyone in Konoha knew that, but for them to take down a Ninja who was responsible for nearly killing a Sanin…

"That's… impressive." Neji wisely remarked.

"Impressive? That is damn freaking awesome! You two rock!" Tenten exclaimed in excitement.

Natsuko just giggled slightly before picking up a nearby Chakra rod that had been discarded.

With a slight amount of effort she located her target and stood up once more.

"Hinata-chan, take care of Akane-chan for me okay?"

"Of course Natsuko-chan but what about…"

"I am going to finish this once and for all…"

With that the blonde took off towards the forest.

 _***SooP***_

"So we meet at last."

"It appears so."

"Are you here to kill me?"

At this response the silent member of the three stepped closer towards her teammate, wanting to be ready to act if need be.

"It is certainly within my power, Kyuu-chan said that if I unleash at least five tails I would be able to kill you both fairly quickly."

"I would imagine that is the case, in my present state I am certainly no threat to you and I doubt Konan would be able to do much at such close range."

The blonde was silent for a moment before speaking up in a slight whisper, "Why?"

"Peace"

Her head snapped up as she let loose a deep growl.

"Peace? PEACE!? You tried to kill two members of my family! You threatened my home and my friends! HOW CAN YOU DARE CLAIM THIS WAS FOR PEACE!?"

Konan winced at the girl's tone, when the facts were placed in front of her…

"You are far too young and naïve to understand. You have not seen…"

"What? I haven't seen suffering? I have _lived_ with suffering. I was forced to watch my sister suffer for years because no one would help us. I had to watch as she chose my wellbeing over her own time and time again. She made sure that _I_ ate before she did, made me take the blankets and warm clothing so that I wouldn't get sick, she was the only one who bought me a birthday present _every single year_ despite the fact that I was too damn selfish and stupid to do the same for her. Instead I would spend my money on other stupid items… but every single year there it would be, a package wrapped up in some shiny paper with my name written on it. Every single year I would tear into it and giggle happily while she watched on, that same warm smile on her face, as if the only thing she truly wanted in this world was to see me happy."

The girl paused, forcing back the tears and the choked sob that threatened to escape from her.

"And you tried to take her from me…"

Pein nodded, knowing full well that his time on this earth was at an end.

Minutes ticked by, and instead of death the self-proclaimed God found himself staring down at the young girl.

Someone who reminded the man far too much of his friend…

"I am so tired of killing, and death. I am tired of watching my friends and family end up in hospital beds strapped to machines. I am tired of hearing about vengeance, and war, and pain, and death. I just want to live in peace with my family."

Konan nodded ever so slightly in understanding. She too had witnessed what those who "desired peace" were capable of. Seldom was it what they had claimed to be their ambition.

The girl turned to leave, shocking both of the older Ninjas for the first time.

"You… are leaving?"

"Yes, like I said I am tired of this. If you come after us again we will just beat you again."

With that the girl departed, heading back towards Konoha where she detected her sister had been taken.

 _***Omake***_

"I have a question Natsuko."

"Yes baa-chan?"

"Quit calling me that you brat… anyways I have been meaning to ask how your 'Life Release' works."

"Oh that? It's simple really, through earth and water I can form and shape plants and basic life with Mokuton. Then I just add in 'the breath of life' and boom."

"… And boom?"

"And boom" the girl repeated with a sage nod.

"That's it?"

"Yep!"

The Hokage blinked in confusion for a few moments, before the full weight of what the girl had just said hit her.

This child had just done what it had taken an aged Kage nearly a lifetime to perfect. She had created a new element with three separate ones. She had forged what few knew as a 'Kekkei Tota' much like the 'Dust Release' of the Third Tsuchikage.

Yet here she was, giggling happily as if it was just a fun toy rather than an incredible feat of Ninjutsu.

It was in that moment that Tsunade could have sworn that she saw into the future, and witnessed a blonde sitting behind the Hokage's desk once more.

***A/N***

I hope that battle was acceptable for everyone. I initially considered having Jiraiya warn them and explain Pein's abilities but considering it was already a two on one I wanted it to be a bit more difficult for the two girls.

All in all I am fairly pleased with the way it turned out.

I hope everyone enjoyed!


	28. War and Deceit

**Sum of our Parts**

War and Deceit

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

A soft knocking at the hospital door alerted the two occupants to their guest.

"Hey…" The Sage called out quietly, his eyes glued to the floor in shame.

The two nodded at his presence.

It had been two days since Pein's defeat and Akane had woken up mere hours ago.

Natsuko had stayed with her the entire time, having flat out refused to be anywhere else.

No one in their right mind wanted to try and force the girl into doing anything different.

Jiraiya had been made aware of the redhead's recovery and finally summoned the courage to face the two girls he thought of as his grandchildren.

"I'm sorry… for what I said and did…"

Again he was met with silence.

He flinched, but pushed through his discomfort.

"Those things I said… I just want you two to be safe. That's all I want in this world now. Everything else, every dream, every ambition, every hope, they all pale in comparison to this. I am _not_ worth risking your lives over."

The man gave a sigh before turning to leave, when he was stopped by a voice whispering out in response.

"You're wrong"

Turning back he saw it was Akane who had made the statement.

"You and Tsunade-San are the only real family we have now… so don't you dare say you aren't worth saving."

"She's right ero-Sensei, we would move mountain for either of you."

A tear slipped from the man's eye as the blonde gestured to an empty chair for him to sit in.

Nodding he limped in and gently sat down.

"I heard about your battle with Pein."

The two Kunoichi nodded.

"You have no idea of how proud I am to be your godfather."

"We sure did kick his ass!" the blonde exclaimed happily.

"That's not entirely why I am proud… you defeated a dangerous opponent but spared his life. You two were able to show what amazing Ninja you have become _and still_ resist the urge to become blood thirsty like so many others have."

"Well we had some amazing teachers" Akane smiled warmly towards the man.

He chuckled in response.

A few more minutes of comfortable silence passed.

"I was afraid you know…"

The sisters looked curiously at the man.

"For your lives of course, but when I got back… I was afraid that I would be replaced. You have a _real_ grandfather now, someone who Hokage-Sama loves and who can love her back. Someone who you can learn and grow from, Arashi Namikaze is a good man despite his flaws and I know he will protect you when the time comes."

"We already had a _real_ grandfather, and I think that the Hokage already does love him. Arashi Namikaze is just a man who was related to our father, nothing more."

With that the redhead reached out and squeezed the white haired man's hand comfortingly, while Natsuko walked around the bed and put her hand on theirs as well.

Tears now freely fell from the man's eyes at achieving one of the few things he had ever truly wanted in life, a family.

 _***SooP***_

"Pein has failed."

"Yes, but he was not killed as anticipated."

"What of the Akatsuki?"

"He has had no contact with them since his defeat, we believe he will either try and disband them or redirect their efforts."

"How irritating, this will put quite the damper on your plans."

"I suppose, but it can be rectified easily enough. I will go to Ame and retrieve his eyes. In the meantime I have contacted the remaining members of the Akatsuki and informed them of the plan, they will be in position. Ensure that your end of the bargain is as well."

"Yes yes of course. I have also made some arrangements for my agent in Konoha to be revealed after this little incident. He has been asking for far too much in exchange for his meager services lately and I have no interest in dealing with him once the blade turns on his precious village."

"How devious of you, after the two brats' deaths I have no doubt that the Uchiha will seek vengeance. It is in their nature after all. Once this occurs they should be easy enough to defeat and you will be provided one of them for a new body as promised."

"How kind of you, and upon delivery of the proof of death, along with one of the Uchiha, I will provide my end of the bargain as well. I trust that I can rely on you to deliver the Mokuton user's remains on good faith?"

"Of course"

Orochimaru gave a sickening smile once more.

 _***SooP***_

"Enter" Tsunade called out, while working on the last bits of paperwork before the Kage meeting.

The door to her office slowly opened a shut before the person walked forward to the desk that dominated the office.

Glancing up the blonde was slightly surprised to see her former teammate standing before her.

Hinata sat nearby, with Shizune, going through some recent intel reports on the Akatsuki's movements and sorting them based on how they had been instructed.

"Jiraiya what are you…"

"I love you"

Without hesitation the white haired man walked around the desk, pulled the shocked woman up by the collar of her robes and connected his lips with her own.

The two girls, along with the ANBU in the room, stared in confusion for a moment before averting away from the scene.

After a minute or so Jiraiya broke the kiss, but continued staring deeply into her eyes.

"Clear… the room… now!"

All the Ninja, save for the two Sanin, immediately scattered.

Shizune, being the last to leave, locked the door behind her with a slight giggle.

It was about time that those two dealt with their pent up emotions.

"What brought on this sudden change?" The woman inquired after finally stabilizing her breath.

"I almost died, was saved by my goddaughters, yelled at them, and then was forgiven and told I would never be replaced and was already a grandfather to them."

"Ah… well that would do it… I was wondering how long it would take for you to get up the courage to do something."

"Hey this isn't a one lane street you know, you could have acted too." The man replied with a pout.

"Oh excuse me? You were always the one talking about how 'the man should make the first move' and all that crap."

"EXACTLY! When the hell was the last time you listened to me? Especially concerning something like relationship advice or what women should or should not do?"

"You were trying reverse psychology on me… FOR TWENTY YEARS!?"

"Listen… you know I don't half ass anything. When I start something I intend on seeing it throu..."

Any further response was silenced when the blonde grabbed ahold of the man's shirt and pulled him into another kiss.

They had wasted enough time already.

 _***SooP***_

"Wh-what do you think got into Jiraiya-Sama?" The pale eyed girl inquired to her friend.

Shizune just giggled once more, she knew what was getting into Tsunade...

"Probably just realized how short life is, and how easily one mission can take away everything you care about. There is no room for regret in the life of a Ninja Hinata-chan."

The Hyuga nodded, before thinking to her own situation.

 _***SooP***_

"Do you really think this is a good idea Hokage-Sama?"

"Do I think it is a good idea to attend a Kage conference on the Akatsuki that I called? Let me think about that for a second… YES!"

The civilian council member slunk back into his chair in fear, while the various Shinobi members rolled their eyes in annoyance.

Seriously how the hell did these people become elected?

"So you have decided on taking Jiraiya-Sama with you then?" Shikaku inquired, although it was more of a statement.

"I have, Jiraiya knows more about the Akatsuki than anyone else and having him there will show our resolve."

Most of the heads in the room nodded in acceptance, or just confusion depending on who it was.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, who are you placing in charge while you are gone Hokage-Sama?"

The Senju resisted the urge to glare at the old war hawk, knowing full well that he was subtly putting his own name on the 'ballot'.

"Kakashi will be placed in charge of the ANBU forces, Shikaku will control missions and the normal Ninja elements, and the Council will be responsible for the normal village upkeep."

The council nodded, though in his head Danzo was cursing up a storm. To divide the village in so many pieces was not only irresponsible but also further slowed his plans of taking over. This just reinforced the fact that the woman was _not_ fit to sit behind the desk she had been chosen for.

Still there was more than one way to get what he desired, and if it just so happened to break a few rules along the way… well he was a Ninja after all.

 _***SooP***_

"Ah Hokage-Sama I hope your trip was pleasant." Mei called out to her fellow female Kage.

"Indeed it was Mizukage, thank you for joining us. I was not sure if you would be able to make it with all the recovery that your country is currently experiencing."

"It has been a difficult path." The woman nodded in agreement, "But the Akatsuki has shown themselves to be a threat to all of us."

"Enough of this useless banter, we have things to discuss!" Onoki interrupted with an agitated look on his face.

"Indeed, I would rather not be forced to sit in the same room as this decrepit old man any longer than I have to." 'A' agreed, earning further irritation from the Tsuchikage.

"Listen you little brat, I'll have you know that…"

"Enough, we are here to discuss the threat that the Akatsuki pose not start a war." Gaara called out in his patented monotone.

"The cutie over there is right, so according to all of our records this group has managed to capture and extract six of the nine Biju, correct?" Mei inquired.

"That's correct. The only ones that remain are Gaara, B, and the two Uzumaki sisters." Onoki replied, earning a slight nod from Jiraiya, who was busy ogling the two women Kage.

"The question is what their end goal could be, what could they gain from…"

"World Domination"

The voice that interrupted was not one of those permitted in the chamber, and thus all of the Kages and their guard leapt into combat stances.

Before them stood a man wearing a strange orange mask, and the standard robes that identified the terrorist group.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Tobi, and I am now the leader of the Akatsuki. I am here to make our intentions known."

"If you are who you claim then why should we not tear you to pieces right now? After all your group is only composed of a handful of Ninja left according to our information." Tsunade growled out.

"Oh you can't do that. I am well beyond your reach at this point. Besides don't you want to hear the rest of my message?"

The silence merely confirmed the man's theory as he continued on.

"As I said, since I am now the leader… I am here to inform you of our formal declaration of war."

"Against who you stupid brat?" the oldest member sneered.

"All of you of course. Why would I bother interrupting a meeting with _all_ of the Kage just to declare war on one of you?"

In an instant the Raikage was at the man's side, a fist launched towards his head.

The other Ninja's eyes widened in shock as the electrically enhanced blow pass through the man, as if he wasn't even there.

"Now now that wasn't very nice. Well it seems as though I have overstayed my welcome. With this I bid you all farewell. I hope that we can all meet again on the plains of battle."

With that the man phased through the floor, vanishing a moment later.

 _***SooP***_

"Akane Uzumaki?"

"Yes?"

"Your orders"

The blank masked ANBU handed the young girl a scroll, which bore the Hokage's seal, before vanishing in a flurry of _Sunshin_.

The redhead glanced over it before frowning slightly and making her way, with a slight limp, to gather the necessary supplies.

 _***SooP***_

"So Natsuko-chan, what are you up to today?"

The happy ball of sunshine just shrugged as she walked down the street with her pale eyed teammate.

"I don't know onee-chan got sent on some super important mission with Sakura-chan so I guess I will have to figure out something to do."

The Hyuga's mind immediately began to wander about all the things that the two of them could 'do' on their day off together.

"Oh I got an idea! Why don't we go to the hot springs Hinata-chan?"

The Kunoichi immediately nodded her head with incredible enthusiasm.

A short while later the two Kunoichi were sitting in the pleasantly warm water, feeling the stress melt away.

"Natsuko-chan, didn't you say that your grandfather was a bit of a pervert? What if he tries to…"

"Nah ero-sannin wouldn't do that, besides if he did I would tell baa-chan and onee-chan on him."

A crash sounded from the other side of the fence as a large white haired man leapt away in fear.

Natsuko giggled in response.

"So how has your sister been Hinata-chan?"

"She is doing good, she will be graduating the academy next year and is very excited."

"That's awesome! So no more troubles with the Main Clan then?"

"None at all, if anything Hizashi-Sama has been trying to make amends with us."

"Awesome! I told you if we just threatened them everything would work out okay!"

"I suppose you did Natsuko-chan. Would you like to go out tonight? You know… just the two of us?"

"Sure Hinata-chan! Rumor is that there is a new ramen restaurant opening up and it has super awesome new combinations that no one has ever done before. I heard they have black pepper ramen, and fried egg ramen, and potato ramen, and…"

As the girl continued on her, seemingly unending, explanation of the many types of noodles that the two could consume her partner's mind was pondering a very different topic.

'I would obviously wear some kind of dress to the wedding maybe my mother's if it can be adjusted. Then Natsuko would wear something bright and cheerful and Akane would wear something slightly darker and crimson. Obviously Hokage-Sensei would marry us and Jiraiya would give them away. Hanabi would be my maid of honor and Sasuke could be the flower girl. After a short ceremony, and even shorter reception, we would sneak away to our large honey moon suite. It would include a large tub for group bathing and a small bed so that we would have to be very… close while sleeping.'

The girl's thoughts quickly turned dirty, as noted by the trickle of blood running down her nose.

Meanwhile Natsuko continued on, completely unaware of her teammates thought process.

 _***SooP***_

"Tsuchikage, before I forget I have a small gift for you." Tsunade called out, before handing the man a scroll.

"Oh? Let me guess it is some sort of trap or explosive?"

"Why would I hand you an explosive if I am sitting right next to you?"

"…touché, so what is in this 'gift' of yours?"

"Open it and find out you stubborn old man."

The Kage scowled before hesitantly opening the scroll, and gaining the attention of the other leaders in the process.

"This is…"

"Yes it is. I assure you that we have not tampered or studied it at all."

The man paused for a moment, before taking on a calculating gaze.

"So what do you want in exchange?"

"Nothing, consider this a token of good will and proof of our intentions of putting any foreign issues secondary to our mission against the Akatsuki."

The man hesitantly nodded, before returning his gaze to the scroll containing the remains of Deidara, the Iwa criminal.

 _***SooP***_

"Greetings Akane-chan, I am happy to be on a team with you."

"Haruno-San" the redhead greeted in return before the two began their voyage.

After a few hours of rather uncomfortable silence the pinkette finally broke down.

"Um, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Such as?"

"Well when Team seven goes on missions Kiba usually talks nonstop about this and that along with teasing Sasuke-kun, it's sort of comforting I guess."

"Jiraiya taught us to maintain silence during missions unless necessary. Stealth has always been the Ninja's greatest weapon after all."

"Oh…"

Another hour passed by before the girl's nervous fidgeting began wearing on the Uzumaki's nerves.

"Is there something you wish to say Haruno-San?"

"Do you think it's a bit strange? I mean just the two of us being sent on a mission together? We have never worked as a pair before and well…."

"Yes I do, but it was signed and sealed by the Hokage. Besides the parameters do make sense, you have always been the smartest of our class and the people of Wave most likely still remember us. That makes us perfect for renegotiating the trade agreement."

"I guess you're right. Still something feels… wrong about all of this."

"I agree, always trust your instincts."

A split second later the two leapt off the road as a series of water projectiles tore the area they had been standing apart.

"Well well well look who we have here, a Jinchuriki and a pink haired whore wandering around by themselves. What's wrong little girls? You're boyfriends too busy to protect you?" Hidan called out as he strode into the clearing.

Akane cursed silently before glancing around and found that she had been separated from Sakura by a large man wielding a sword and an Akatsuki robe.

From behind another man emerged, whom she recognized as Kakuzu from Anko's report.

It was an obvious trap… which meant that there was a mole in the higher ups of Konoha, someone who was able to create the fake mission that sent the two of them here.

"It is too bad that neither one are worth any bounties, but hopefully those that will come looking for them will be." Kakuzu agreed.

"Meh, hopefully at least one of them is tougher than my last fight. I have been aching to kill some stronger opponents." Kisame whined out in a bored tone.

"Well first things first, we extract the Biju, kill the pink haired bitch, and then sit back and watch the fireworks." The money obsessed man commanded, before moving towards the redhead.

Akane could already tell they were way out of their league, and with Sakura being so far away she had no chance of escaping with the poor girl.

"Wait"

The three men halted, looking curiously towards the Uzumaki while the pinkette glanced around nervously.

"If you let Sakura go, and promise to leave my sister alone… I won't resist."

The Akatsuki members were silent for a moment, before the immortal and pale skinned man burst out laughing.

"Why the hell would we need to do that?" Hidan managed to question.

"Because if you don't then I will take my sister… and you will never find us. I can teleport to no less than one hundred and fifty places across the elemental nations. There is no hope for you ever retrieving us. Your plans will fail and you will be hunted down and exterminated."

The Jashinist growled out in annoyance, before his fellow immortal interrupted the conversation.

"She's right, the information that Zetsu retrieved points to that fact. This was one of the reasons that they were sent together after all."

"Bah… fine, get the hell out of her pinky."

Amazingly Sakura refused to budge.

"I am not leaving without Akane."

"Sakura-San, I appreciate the gesture but there is no way we can win this fight. You need to get back to Konoha and tell them what happened. It takes days to extract a Biju so they have time to find me. Just go."

The Kunoichi paused, as reluctance and planning shone in her eyes before she gave a hesitant nod, whispered 'thank you', and then took off running.

Meanwhile the three men closed in on the Jinchuriki.

 _***SooP***_

"Baa-chan you're back!"

The Hokage chuckled at the younger blonde's antics as the girl practically torpedoed into her, knocking her back against the desk.

"Hey what about me? I'm important too you know."

"Oh hey ero-Sensei"

The man grumbled about 'respecting your elders' before rubbing the girl's head compassionately.

"I'm actually surprised you are here without your sisters Natsuko, is she feeling alright?"

"Well I would hope so, you sent her on a mission like two days ago after all."

The Senju adopted a slightly confused expression at the statement.

"What are you talking about Natsuko? I didn't send Akane on any missions."

"Sure you did, I saw the scroll stamped with your seal and she said it was a joint mission with Sakura-chan."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in suspicion at this and turned to the village leader.

Before either could say anything said pinkette burst through the doors.

"Hokage-Sama!" the girl shouted out, gasping for breath as if she had just run full speed around Konoha several times.

"Sakura, what is going on? Where is Akane?"

"We… were ambushed…. Akatsuki… she told me to run… I'm so sorry!"

"ANBU, gather the Jonin, and Hinata."

In a moment the room was filled with a rushing sound as the invisible warriors blurred out into the village.

"Hime…." The Sage almost begged out in horror.

"Don't worry Jiraiya, it takes days to extract a Biju, she will be fine. We are going to find her."

"I'm so sorry Natsuko-chan I'm just so…"

The blonde was still frozen in shock though, her mind buzzing with worry for her sister.

"Sakura snap out of it. Do you still have the mission scroll?"

The girl nodded, before tossing it to her leader, who glanced over it in rage.

"This is the final straw…"

 _***SooP***_

"To be honest I expected more from the 'God' of the world." Tobi muttered with a slight frown as he walked slowly towards the dying Nagato.

"Well what do you expect? Taking out his 'paths' first pretty much ended the fight, plus I always was pretty scary if I do say so myself." Zetsu replied happily, as he pulled his blade from the man's chest.

"Y-you think this is the end? No… this is only the beginning. Those two girls will stop you they are the light in this world where no others can shine." Nagato smiled slightly, before coughing up blood and glancing over at his dying teammate.

They had been ambushed while he was recovering, and she had taken a projectile thrown by Tobi for him.

Now her fate was the same as his, perhaps it always had been?

The woman glanced up one last time, and gave a heartfelt smile towards her companion, before the light in her eyes faded forever.

"Yeah yeah, saviors of the world etc etc. Just do us a favor and die already jeesh." Zetsu cheerfully requested, before the Uzumaki took his last breath. "Well now that those two are gone you really are fully in charge of the Akatsuki, and with the Rinnegan in our possession we can once more continue on with our plans."

"Correct Zetsu, now let us check up on the remaining three. I am still a bit concerned at Arashi's disappearance but he poses no great threat by himself." The Uchiha commanded, before removing the purple eyes from his former teammate, and disappearing in a swirl of Chakra.

"Indeed, the plans will continue as always…" the false human stated with a twisted grin, before melding into the earth.

 _***SooP***_

"Sakura-chan… how are you feeling?"

The pinkette, avoided her boyfriends gaze, and question. Instead she focused on the hospital bed that she currently lay in.

Sasuke waited patiently for the girl to answer, one thing he had long ago realized was that pushing Sakura when she did not want to talk was always a bad idea.

"I'm worse than trash…" the Kunoichi finally whispered out in a defeated tone.

"Sakura-chan that isn't…"

"ISN'T WHAT!? TRUE? You know it is! I abandoned and left her there! She brought you back, she saved the Hokage, she has done nothing but help this village and become stronger and I left her with those three monsters! She should have been the one to leave! She should be lying in this bed right now, not me!"

"Why would you say that? Do you really think you haven't helped? That her life is more important than yours? I read the report, only one of you was going to escape from that place and if you fought you would have died. This was the only outcome where you both have the possibility of survival. It takes days to extract a Biju according to Jiraiya-Sama, which means we have time to save her."

"Is that how the others will see this? That I took the 'logical option' and withdrew for strategic reasons? Kakashi-Sensei practically shoved teamwork down our throats and I abandoned my only teammate!"

"That isn't true Sakura you gave us a chance to save you both." A voice called out from the doorway.

Both Ninja looked up to see their teacher standing, a compassionate look in his eye.

"Kakashi-Sensei I…."

"You did what you were told to do Sakura. Yes in practice you should never leave a teammate behind, and choosing them over the mission is important. But as you will find out there is no such thing as a 'perfect rule' in the Shinobi world. No matter what the idea might be you _will_ find a situation that will force a change. You took the only option that might allow us to save her _and_ you. Abandoning a teammate is always a hard thing to do, but when it means saving more lives… sometimes you have to break your own rules."

"Natsuko?" The pinkette inquired, and the former ANBU nodded in understanding.

"She is… upset. But that is understandable. She does not blame you though Sakura. Her fury is focused on those who ambushed you, and if there is one thing that Sasuke can explain better than almost anyone else… it is why angering that girl is _never_ a wise idea."

 _***SooP***_

"Thank you all for coming. Two days ago Akane Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno were sent on a false mission from this office. While on said mission they were ambushed by the Akatsuki."

Immediately worried whispering flowed among the Jonin gathered, before being silenced by the Hokage.

"Due to her self-sacrifice Sakura was able to survive and is currently recovering. Those of standing here have been chosen as potential members of this team. Anyone who wishes to volunteer may…"

"YOU BET YOUR VOLUPTUOUS ASS IM GOING!" Anko immediately shouted.

"Same, no one is going to hurt my students and get away with it." Kurenai stated, a fire blazing in her eyes.

"I am going with them, they might need medical help, plus I have the Byakugan." The sisters' third teammate declared.

"I am going along, Hayate would but with his condition…" Yugao muttered out, while glancing to her lover, who responded with a nod.

"If the intel is correct then I am definitely a part of this. Anko and I were both part of the team that dealt with the two 'immortals'." Asuma chimed in.

"Very well, we can't risk sending out anyone else and bringing too much attention to this operation. That means that Kakashi will be in charge and…

"What about me?" Jiraiya interrupted with a look of anger in his eyes.

"Jiraiya you aren't fully recovered yet. I need a team that can…"

"IF YOU THINK I AM GOING TO SIT BACK AND LET THOSE MONSTERS…"

"I am going with them."

Those assembled turned towards Natsuko, who had just entered the room.

"Absolutely not, we don't know if they will be targeting you next and if the worst happens then…"

"Then I will show them why they should fear an enraged sister."

Those present winced slightly at the killing intent the young blonde was releasing.

"I also request to be sent on this mission Hokage-Sama, if the Akatsuki is as powerful as we believe then…"

"Denied Itachi, I have another mission for you and Sasuke to undertake."

With that the woman tossed the Uchiha a scroll, who narrowed his eyes upon opening it.

"You are sure about this?"

"Yes, this is the final piece evidence needed to deal with this issue once and for all."

"Hime, I am going with the recovery team, whether you like it or not."

The Hokage sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Fine, but the order still stands, Kakashi is in charge since I trust him to be the most logical one on this task force."

"Alright then everyone, be prepared to move out in ten minutes." The cyclopean Jonin commanded, in a tone befitting his ANBU days.

 _***SooP***_

"Onii-san, why aren't we going on the mission to save Akane?"

"Because Otouto, we have orders from the Hokage. This is not the time to be second guessing things and putting emotions before logic."

"Logically we should be with Kakashi-Sensei, they are going to need our help, especially if what Sakura-chan said was correct about there being three Akatsuki members."

"I agree, but the Hokage's orders are final. Besides we have an equally important task to attend to now."

"You haven't told me what that is yet."

"Our mission is to arrest the traitor that sent both your girlfriend and Akane on that mission."

"You mean there is a traitor in the higher levels of Konoha?"

"Of course, who do you think it was that help Orochimaru infiltrate Konoha? Who do you think pushed for the eradication of the _entire_ Uchiha clan?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock at what his brother was saying, for one person to have so much power and influence…

"Our mission is to arrest Danzo Shimura."

*** _Omake***_

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make." Ino called out to the other members of the 'Konoha Thirteen'.

Itachi had joined them as well at the behest of his brother.

"I have the feeling this is going to be all sorts of troublesome…" The Nara muttered, receiving a glare from his teammate.

" _As_ I was saying, I have an announcement to make… I have officially been accepted as one of Sasuke-kun's girlfriends!"

Both Sakura and Sasuke immediately spat their drinks all over the table, with the Uchiha sending a glare towards his brother.

Itachi merely shrugged it off and continued drinking, while hiding his smirk behind his cup.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN INO-PIG!?"

"I mean exactly what I just said forehead! Mikoto-San agreed to accept me just this afternoon."

"You know I am starting to think that maybe you should have just left the _two_ of us alive onii-san."

The older Uchiha just gave a sage nod to his younger brother.

"YOU ARE NOT FIT TO BE SASUKE-KUN'S GIRLFRIEND!"

"MORE FIT THAN YOU MISS 'UNNATURAL HAIR'!"

"I TOLD YOU IT IS THE NATURAL COLOR."

"PINK ISN'T NATURAL! I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE SMART ONE OF OUR CLASS!"

"HA SO YOU ADMIT THAT I AM BETTER!"

"NO I SAID 'THOUGHT'."

The two continued their shouting match, while the others began ignoring them and returning to the meal that they had originally come for.

"Alright Natsuko-chan time for round two of our ramen eating contest!" Choji happily proclaimed as the two eyed each other with a fierce competitiveness.

"Shika-kun could you count us down?"

"Seriously, eh fine. Three, two, one, and go or whatever."

The two Ninja immediately began shoveling the noodles into their mouths at incredible rates.

"So Onii-san, when is mom setting you up with your 'restore the clan' team?"

"Considering how that worked out for her last time… I think she has given up for the time being."

"Really? I wonder who drew those pictures of red haired Uchiha then." Sasuke pondered thoughtfully.

This time it was Itachi who spat his tea all over the table.

***A/N***

So there is a whole lot of plot going on right now.

Hopefully no one is upset at how Nagato and Konan died. But considering how easily she was killed in the manga, and that was on her home turf and not trying to defend Nagato, I feel as though both Zetsu and Tobi would make short work of the two. Especially if Nagato wasn't able to recreate his paths before the attack came.

Whole lot of combat in the next chapter, obviously, and this also marks the official start of the 'Fourth Shinobi War'.

We are in the last mile, but trust me when I say it will be the most epic by far.

Hope everyone is still enjoying the story! I know I am.


	29. Unearthing the Truth

**Sum of our Parts**

Unearthing the Truth

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

Proceeding at their full speed the rescue team had managed to reach the site that Sakura had described within half a day, at which point Kakashi began tracking their enemies.

Unfortunately the enemy had days to continue their plans, meaning that the trail was hard to pick up, even for Pakkun.

Thus it was that the team had set up camp for the night, all of them being too exhausted to continue any further.

"Natsuko-chan, how are you doing?" Hinata softly called out, as she walked towards her teammate.

"I don't know Hinata-chan… every time we are separated something terrible happens. What if this time…"

"She will be okay Akane-chan is one of the strongest people I know. We will pick up her trail tomorrow and find her before anything happens. If the Akatsuki has been moving her then they have lost time as well."

"I know but I have a bad feeling Hinata-chan… something is terribly wrong."

The Hyuga sat down next to her friend, wrapping her arms around the upset girl in a powerful hug.

They would fall asleep in this position an hour later, with Hinata fiercely protecting her teammate.

 _***SooP***_

The two Uchiha strode confidently into their target's location, glancing around for any signs of traps that might have been laid ahead of time.

"Ah Itachi-San and Sasuke-San, what can I do for you two gentlemen today?"

"Danzo Shimura, by the authority of the Hokage you are under arrest for treason." Sasuke declared.

"Oh? Well I must admit that I am a bit shocked by this turn of events. For the Hokage to declare a patriot such as myself a traitor is… quite disturbing."

"We know what you have been involved with Danzo and rest assured the only things disturbing about this situation are your actions and how long you have managed to evade justice."

"Justice is in the eye of the victor boy."

"You might be correct, but considering you are about to lose I would say that you might want to change your stance on this."

Danzo gave a slight smile, before making a few hand signs with his usable arm.

"Let us see how well the two 'prodigies' fair against the roots of Konoha." The traitor proclaimed.

The three waited for a few moments, before a look of agitation began making its way across the older man's face.

"Were you expecting some kind of reaction Danzo? Perhaps you thought that group of false ANBU would come bursting in to save you at the last moment? As my brother said, we are well aware of what you are involved in. Your personal 'army' is being detained by Konoha forces as we speak."

The man allowed a scowl to cross his face, before switching back to a neutral expression. If this was true then his plans would be set back considerably, and all of that precious time and effort would be wasted unless his soldiers could be freed.

"I suppose I should commend you for coming prepared, but it is all for naught. Do you really believe I would not have expected an assassination attempt from an Uchiha at some point in my life?"

With that the torches and overhead bulbs that had illuminated the room flickered off, leaving all three combatants without any form of sight.

Itachi chuckled as he strolled forward.

"Quite impressive of you Danzo, the Third Hokage was wise when he assigned you on the council. To take away your opponents' strength at the loss of your own eyesight is quite the gamble."

"Ah but that is where you are wrong Itachi-San. For me this merely is a mild hindrance… but for you and your brother this is crippling. I have studied the Uchiha enough to know that you depend on your precious _Sharingan_ more than any other tool at your disposal, and I know that it does not allow you to see in the dark. This removes your precious tracking ability, eyesight based Genjutsu, and even many of the Ninjutsu that make your clan so feared. It truly is amazing at how such a powerful and feared ability can be countered so easily."

The war hawk's voice seemed to echo throughout the chamber, coming from every direction at once.

The slight shifting in the air put the elder Uchiha on guard, allowing him to dodge backwards from a blade thrust towards his back.

It was then that Sasuke struck.

The area surrounding Sasuke was suddenly illuminated in a pale blue glow as the sound of a thousand chirping birds echoed through the halls.

Lightning flowed endlessly over the Shinobi's blade, revealing the Ninja to each other.

"Clever, so you knew that I might try something of this nature?"

"Of course Danzo, you always were one to strike and hide in the shadows after all."

With that Itachi's own blade was covered in a thick fire, casting a roaring red light across the room as well.

"I see, well then I suppose this battle will become that much bloodier for us."

With a slight gesture the elder retrieved his own sword and illuminated it with a thousand air currents, causing it to radiate white in order to counter his opponents.

 _***SooP***_

"She will be okay Natsuko-chan, I promised you and your sister that nothing is going to happen to either of you and I intend to keep that. We are going to find these bastards and tear them to pieces." Jiraiya spoke to the blonde as they continued leaping through the trees, following the lead that Kakashi had discovered.

The young girl merely nodded, having taken on a quiet and fearful disposition.

"She is tougher than she looks Natsuko-chan."

"She is the strongest person I know. She gives me strength and always has. I admire her in ways that you cannot begin to understand." The blonde quietly replied, earning a nod from the white haired Sanin.

"And she depends on you just as much. Don't worry everything is going to be okay. Once these three bastards are dead we are going to form a task force and hunt down the rest of these assholes and then you two will be safe again."

The blonde nodded, but secretly began wondering if they would ever truly be safe.

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke Uchiha was pushed back once more by the force of his enemy's strike.

If he had to be honest with himself he had been expecting the man to surrender, or at least be defeated with nominal ease.

After all Danzo was in his seventies and was dueling a high ANBU class warrior along with himself.

The old man should not be as strong, or agile, as he was.

Unfortunately he could not argue with the fact that the council member was keeping up with both of them.

Yet he could see signs that it was not his body allowing him to do so. His speed came in bursts, revealing them to be almost completely Chakra based. He avoided engaging both warriors at the same time, often maneuvering them so that they would get in each other's path and create his own cover.

It was the age old question 'would youth and enthusiasm be able to defeat age and treachery'?

Regardless Sasuke did note that his technique was at a disadvantage. The old man was a powerful wind user, thus giving the traitor a decisive advantage over his own lightning infused abilities.

But Itachi had the advantage with fire.

"I am surprised with you Sasuke," The eldest began "your file notes you to be quite ill tempered and hot headed in combat. To be able to fight without emotion knowing what I have attempted is quite impressive."

"What, that you kidnapped children for your forces? I can live with the knowledge that your head will be removed from your body soon enough."

"Not that, I was referring to the fact that I was the one who sent your precious girlfriend on a suicide mission."

That froze the boy for an instant, allowing a vicious kick to send him sprawling to the ground.

"Sasuke don't listen to him, he is trying to break your concentration." Itachi commanded in a stern tone.

The younger boy nodded before the two leapt forward and engaged their adversary once more.

"I am doing no such thing Sasuke. I simply want you to know the truth about what happened. I do so hope you find relief in the fact that she would not have simply been murdered like any common Ninja, from what I understand Kakuzu had wanted to take her heart for his collection, quite an honor I would imagine."

Sasuke slipped slightly, his mind betraying him mid attack.

The elder Uchiha cursed, forcing himself to compensate and defend for his younger brother.

"That is of course only _after_ Kisame had his… turn with her. As I understand it he has become quite 'pent up' from lack of down time since joining the Akatsuki. I wonder how long he would have enjoyed…"

The man's musings were interrupted by a massive eruption of electricity.

The lightning tore into the traitor's body, vaporizing his blood and boiling his organs, before leaving only a dried out corpse as remains.

Itachi sent a quick glare at his brother.

"Cutting it a bit close aren't we?"

"It got the job done didn't it? Besides we wasted enough time on…"

"Oh I would agree, enough time _has_ been wasted on this fight." The elder's voice called out, forcing the two Uchiha to spin around in shock.

There stood Danzo, once more completely unscathed, save for the bandages that once held his arm.

The two were now fully exposed to the horrific nature of the experiments that their enemy had done to himself.

A pale arm, with ten _Sharingan_ eyes implanted, had replaced his former.

"Wha-what the hell is that!?"

"Danzo…" Itachi growled out in anger. "So that is why you were so intent on being on scene after the massacre, that is why you pushed so hard for me to do your dirty work. You wanted the Sharingan."

"Precisely"

 _***SooP***_

"We are getting close, Pakkun estimates that we are within an hour of their location. I think that we should stop here and rest before."

"No"

"Natsuko, I know that you are anxious to help her but we won't be any use if we are exhausted." Asuma gently reminded.

"Then take a soldier pill, I am not letting those monsters have my sister any longer than they already have."

Anko nodded in agreement.

"She's right, we are rested enough and we outnumber them by over two to one, and we know what two of them are capable of already. What we don't know is how long it takes for the extraction process to be irreversible so every second counts. What I'm trying to say is… QUIT YOUR BITCHING, MAN UP, AND LET'S GO!" Anko declared, before taking off with the blonde. The others leapt after them a second later.

"Nothing is going to happen to her Natsuko-chan, I promise you. I just said that to get them moving, I will _not_ let anything else hurt you or her ever again." The snake summoner whispered.

The blonde nodded and gave a half hearted smile.

 _***SooP***_

So far the two brothers had managed to 'kill' Danzo five times.

But they were both starting to run low on Chakra, and their injuries continued to escalate.

"How is he doing this…" Sasuke growled out, as the two took a slight break while watching the man appear across the room.

Itachi looked a bit dumbstruck at his younger brother. The boy had been so obsessed with getting stronger and learning new techniques had never researched into their own Dojutsu?

"It is called ' _Izanagi_ ', it allows the user to escape their death by sacrificing the light in their eye. Since he has ten eyes then that means he has ten additional lives to be taken."

"I suppose that makes our job a bit more interesting. But we are only half way through, if we don't do start changing this up we will be exhausted by the end."

The older of the two nodded and began his contemplation.

Meanwhile Danzo was becoming annoyed. He had already gone through half of his 'lives' and both opponents were still standing.

He needed to get rid of the younger brat and then turn Itachi into his servant, but the technique would require them both to remain perfectly still for at least a minute, thus vulnerable for interruption.

"You claim to know so much about me Itachi-San, but I wonder if you know _everything_ about me."

The two siblings narrowed their eyes, wary of what the man's game was.

"Do you truly believe that all of my so called 'crimes' have only occurred recently? That I have just _now_ put forth my full effort for the sake of the village?" the eldest Ninja continued. "Do you really believe that what happened to Akane Uzumaki was fate?"

Itachi's eyes opened wide in shock, before the puzzle began to fill itself in.

"Ah there it is there is that understanding."

"What is he talking about?"

"Quite simple Sasuke, your brother has realized the truth, that there is no such thing as coincidence in the Ninja world. What are the odds that the only two people who protected the two Jinchuriki would be forced to leave the village within the same month? That right after they left on 'business' that the two girls would be attacked. That the mob would know _exactly_ where they were hiding? All of these things happening at once would be virtually impossible unless it was planned… unless I orchestrated it."

Instantly the man burst into black flames, which roared in a way that seemed almost as if they were furious at the man.

 _"Amaterasu"_

Sasuke looked over to where the technique had been called out, and saw something that froze the blood in his veins.

Never before had he witnessed such anger in his brother's eyes, such rage, and such power. It was in that moment that Sasuke realized that the gap in strength between them had never shrunk.

Even with all of the training he had received, from both Kakashi and his family. Even with the upgraded _Sharingan_. Even with his lightning affinity training… there was no hope in catching up to the man who stood before him.

Sasuke wasn't sure that anyone could catch up to his brother at this point.

"So disappointing Itachi-San for you to be manipulated so easily is unbecoming of an ANBU captain such as yourself. Do you think that she cried when they took her innocence away? Do you think she begged for mercy while they forced themselves inside of her, or do you think it was when they began torturing her in other ways?"

 _"Amaterasu"_

Once more ravaging flames burst forth on the criminal, consuming him slowly and painfully.

"Although I must admit I was impressed that she managed to save her sister. She already had the notion of a Konoha Kunoichi even back then eh? The initial plan was to break them both, slowly and painfully over the course of several months. Unfortunately the blonde escaped and Sarutobi, along with Kakashi, managed to return faster than intended. Regardless I am quite pleased with the results, quite the killer isn't she?"

 _"Amaterasu"_

This time Itachi changed it up, slowly burning the man from his feet up until he was very slowly turned to ash.

"It is unfortunate that she will die extracting the Kyuubi. I would have preferred her to be turned into breeding stock like the CRA was intended to do. I wonder if that would have finally broken her? Do you think she would have cried this time around Itachi-San? Do you think she would have cried if her sister screamed out while being raped?"

" _AMATERASU!"_

This time the flames had been sent down the man's throat, slowly cooking him from the inside out. But his rage had cost him. Itachi was now down on one knee, gasping for breath from the exertion of the fight.

"A pity really, for someone of your caliper to be so easily manipulated into defeat. Now you are exhausted and your brother really poses no threat to me anyway. But perhaps this is for the best. After all I need to end this battle and implant new Sharingan into my arm for use against the Hokage."

The last word was spat out like poison as the man slowly began his approach.

'He must have a weakness. All of the psychological warfare he used on Sasuke and I… he must… that's it!'

"The Hokage will never be defeated by such a cheap trick. She was chosen for a reason after all." The winded Ninja called out between breaths.

"She is useless as a leader and as a Kunoichi, she should have been…"

" _Useless_? Oh I think you underestimate her. She really was one of the few Ninja fit to command the village."

"Ridiculous, I am far superior to…"

At this point Sasuke had caught up to his brother's plan, and roared out in laughter.

" _You_? Please, Itachi is far more suited for the position of Hokage. Even if the council doesn't trust him Kakashi-Sensei would be the next in line."

"Bah, that lazy pervert is…"

Once again he was interrupted, "A fantastic example of what a Konoha Ninja _should_ be. Loyal, powerful, deadly, and yet he appears as none of these. It puts his opponents off guard."

"Kakashi Hatake is no more a threat to me than…"

"But he might not accept the position. I think he would much prefer ANBU over Hokage don't you onii-san?"

"True, well if it isn't Kakashi or one of us two…" The Uchiha quickly cut off any remark from their annoyed opponent. "Then I would bet on Natsuko or Akane next."

"Agreed, in fact I would say they would be nominated before I would."

"Perhaps… what about your teammate, I thought I overheard him talking about his ambitions before."

"Kiba? That is true… good loyalty, quick learner, comes from a prominent clan… I could see it happening."

"This is outrageous! I will never be overlooked by someone as weak as…"

"Then again it could be a Hyuga, they have become quite powerful politically as of late…"

"Indeed, that along with the 'love triangle' that is going on between you, Hinata, and Akane…"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Really? Because there is a bet on who ends up with her."

"Nonsense I would know of such a…"

"Kakashi placed his wager on a threesome."

Itachi paused for a minute, contemplating the idea, while ignoring the ever growing rage of the traitor.

"You know that isn't the worst…."

"ENOUGH! I WILL NOT BE IGNORED BY TWO IGNORANT TRAITORS!"

"Funny coming from you." Sasuke shot back.

It was the last straw, prompting the aged man to shoot forward with impressive speed and lunge for the younger boy.

Luckily Itachi managed to position himself between the two, and found a hand wrapped around his throat instead.

Before he could follow up the attack Danzo was forced backwards by Sasuke's intervention, unwilling to risk any more 'lives' on this battle.

This time the war hawk gave a large smirk, "It is over now, do you really think that Orochimaru is the only one who is skilled in _cursed seals_? Even now your brother will be paralyzed and you will be helpless before me."

Both Shinobi turned, one expectant and one fearful, towards the man in question.

This time it was Itachi's turn to smirk, as he walked forward to stand next to his brother.

"One of the benefits of dating someone who is a Fuinjutsu prodigy, I can no longer have any seals placed on me without my consent, unless they are equal to or greater than her skill."

The older man scowled in annoyance before glancing towards the younger of the two.

"Don't bother, she also provided me with a few 'antidotes' should Orochimaru or anyone else try and put a seal on Sasuke."

The youngest person in the room immediately began a flurry of hand signs, launching forth a massive wave of fire towards their opponent.

Leaping to the side Danzo retaliated with a series of ' _vacuum blades_ ', which were also dodged, and retaliated against by Sasuke.

Unfortunately Itachi had used up virtually all of his Chakra, and thus was stuck with either short melee confrontations or dodging.

Luckily Sasuke had been training fiercely since the 'Suna Incident' and had significantly higher reserves than before.

 _***SooP***_

 **'Natsuko-chan'**

'What is it Kyuu-chan?'

 **'Something is wrong, you need to hurry. Something does not feel right it is almost as if…'**

'If what?'

 **'You need to get to her… NOW'**

The blonde immediately shot forward at speeds that surprised even the other Jonin.

 _***SooP***_

The room had been covered in deep gashes and scorch marks.

All three combatants were gasping for breath, none having much of a Chakra reserve left.

Danzo had been slain one additional time, placing the total number at ten, due to a _'Chidori Spear'_.

"This has gone on far too long, the only thing left is for me to ensure my ascension to the position of Hokage… by taking the two most powerful Uchiha as my servant!"

With that Danzo tore off the bandages around his eye, revealing another _Sharingan._

"Behold Shisui's _Mangekyo Sharingan_! And with your Chakra reserves near empty I will be able to force both of you under my servitude rather than just one!"

The war hawk then began the technique, while the other watched on.

A few seconds later nothing had changed, earning a shocked expression from Danzo.

"Wha-what happened? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"

"Oh you didn't notice Danzo? How pathetic of someone claiming to be the next Hokage not to realize when a Genjutsu was placed on them. During your little outburst, when your concentration was at the weakest, I placed a Genjutsu on you. Instead of using the last eye on your arm for _'Izanagi'_ you were forced to use that one. I figured that would be your plan after Shisui told me of your theft." Itachi declared.

"You… BASTARDS! You have ruined everything! Don't you see that the village will fall without a strong Hokage leading it? Don't you see that…"

" _Amaterasu"_

Danzo burst into black flames once more, using up the last of his 'free lives' and reappearing with a fearful look in his eyes.

Unfortunately the technique had taken the last of Sasuke's reserves, forcing him to the ground in exhaustion.

"You haven't won yet… I will still emerge victorious despite your efforts. I have an entire room full of _Sharingan_ to transplant, there is no hope for your…"

"Correction, you _had_ a room full. Luckily we stumbled upon it after cleaning up the remains of your 'Root' program." A voice called out, identifying itself as Hayate, as he walked into the room.

The traitor scowled once again. All of his research, all of his planning, all of his careful manipulations had been for naught.

The only thing left to do was honor the last code of the Shinobi...

With a slight gesture several seals appeared across Danzo's body, "If I truly have been defeated then at least I will _not_ be taken alive, and I shall destroy my enemies in the process!"

In a split second Itachi had leapt across the room, and slapped a paper onto the older man's chest.

Energy roared out, as the two came in contact, blinding those in the room until it faded, revealing a horrified council member.

"What have you done?"

"I told you there were perks to dating a Fuinjutsu prodigy. Akane gave me a few seal removal and suppressor papers should I ever run into any more curse marked individuals or those wielding any other kinds of sealing enhancements. Simply put I 'sealed your seal'."

"Impressive, as I thought she has become far stronger than first believed. Perhaps after I am exonerated I will be able to create offspring using her… if she survives her capture of course…"

The man's rant was interrupted by a pair of hands around his throat, and Itachi lifting him into the air.

"No longer will you torment those two sisters. There isn't going to be a trial Danzo, this is the only justice required."

"Itachi let him go." Sasuke called out.

"Why? So that he can lie and bribe his way to freedom? So that he can be released for…"

"Because he deserves far worse than this fate, that last technique was one of desperation. If I was him I wouldn't want to face the Hokage or any of those who are close to Akane either. Whatever you can think up I _guarantee_ that they can do worse."

The older Uchiha seemed to ponder this, while still choking the life out of the man, before dropping him to the ground with a grunt.

"Hayate-San, I trust you will be able to take him into custody?"

"Of course, but what did Sasuke mean by that last part?"

"You will find out soon enough I am sure. Let's just say that we didn't know the true extent of the atrocities that Danzo Shimura has perpetrated."

 _***SooP***_

"Well well well, look who showed up late to the party." Hidan laughed out as the Konoha Ninja burst into the forest clearing.

"A bit too late as always, fitting for what our information tells about your 'leader' Kakuzu taunted towards Kakashi, earning a wide eyed stare from several of the members.

"What are you…" Jiraiya roared out, before the masked man took a step to the side, revealing Akane.

She was currently lying on the ground.

Unmoving

The Jonin leapt forward, immediately engaging the criminals while Kurenai shouted for Hinata to revive her.

The pale eyed girl had never moved as fast in her life.

Dozens of medical Jutsu flowed from her fingertips.

Every diagnostic technique she knew scanning every inch of her teammate's body.

Every healing technique that had been pounded into her head by her teachers began working on reviving the girl before her.

All of them failed.

Hinata sat back, shock and horror written on her face as she glanced into Natsuko's pleading eyes.

The medical Ninja slowly shook her head, tears already pouring from her eyes.

"I-I'm s-s-so s-s-orry Natsuko-chan. Sh-sh-she's…"

The area fell eerily quiet, as the other Konoha forces became aware of the situation.

Akane Uzumaki was dead.

 _***SooP***_

If anyone could have seen inside of Natsuko Uzumaki's mindscape they would have seen the Kyuubi in a rare state of confusion.

She felt… complete, as if both halves of her essence and power had been reunited.

But that wasn't possible, especially since it would have changed her mentality by fusing her darkness and aggression back in as well.

However those darker feelings were not present, it was almost as if…

"She gave me my one wish… she allowed somehow purified the darkness and gave me back what I lost… in her final moments she thought only of others, even me."

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko looked on at her sister's lifeless form, her body taking on a paler color than ever before.

She gently shook the corpse, before shaking it harder and harder, desperate to somehow revive the only true family she had left, the only one she had ever really had.

Tears ran down her face as the blonde resorted to hitting her sister's chest, trying anything to start her heart once more.

But it would no longer make a sound.

"Onee-chan…"

Her sister had protected her one last time. In the end she had given everything up to save her.

Memories flashed through her mind of the sacrifices that Akane had made.

Of birthdays in which she risked her safety to ensure she had presents to unwrap.

She remembered those cold winter nights where she would wrap the blonde in the only blankets, in an effort to keep her warm.

The mornings where she woke up to find her sister had snuck books and scrolls from the library, in an effort to ensure she could pass the tests at the academy.

Her sister working countless hours on Ninja skills, despite the fact that there was no reason to believe Akane could ever pass the test with her deficiencies.

Recollections of her sister, stealing and giving up food and ensuring she could eat three meals a day.

Akane, who helped her escape their apartment building that fateful night and then staying behind to ensure that she would be safe, even though it meant unspeakable tortures and losses to herself.

And now her last sacrifice, giving up her very life to allow the girl to live without fear and to save another Konoha Ninja that she had never cared about.

Inside of her mind the Kyuubi roared out, in anger, in power, and in fury at those who would dare to take such an innocent soul from the world

As the tears poured down her face Natsuko screamed out in pain, in sorrow, and in anguish.

And for the first time in centuries… nature itself bowed.

*** _Omake_ ***

"What about Sakura? I mean she has excellent Chakra control, is knowledgeable in just about _everything_ , has good times to the various Ninja, and it would show that Konoha is moving towards a non-Clan based future."

"Would _you_ want to take orders from someone who is constantly calling her friend 'pig'?"

Itachi paused for a moment, considering his brother's words.

"Good point, Shikamaru would be a good choice though. He is a genius after all."

"The _Nara_? Please, he couldn't lead his way out of a locked room much less an entire village, he would find it too 'troublesome'." Danzo remarked.

"Hmm, Neji wouldn't be a bad option. A clan heir, control over his emotions, a natural genius, knows how to ask for assistance and how to handle his own affairs." Sasuke remarked, before sitting down onto the floor.

Itachi quickly followed his example, letting out a slight groan from being so sore.

The elder seemed to glance around, as if contemplating whether this was a trap, before shrugging and taking a seat near the two Uchiha.

"True but I feel as though he is far too prideful at times. Besides I would never hear the end of it from his father about how 'this just proves that the Hyuga clan is the mightiest of all'." the war hawk commented.

Itachi grunted in acknowledgement.

"If Orochimaru wasn't such a psychopath he would have made a good choice. Relentlessly ambitious, knowledgeable, skilled, and he already has some leadership skills." The council member noted.

"Yeah but I think he would have started enlisting all the young boys into one of his 'youth programs' and then started with giving them personal 'checkups'." The youngest replied in disgust.

The other two winced slightly, before nodding.

"Jiraiya would have turned Konoha into a quarter hot springs, a quarter strip clubs, and the rest brothels…" Itachi muttered sadly.

"I'm actually surprised that the current Hokage hasn't made everything into either casinos or bars to be honest." Sasuke muttered out.

"She tried, luckily the Hyuga were 'opposed to having drunks wandering around and peeing on their clan compound walls'." Danzo chuckled, remembering the council meeting fondly.

"What about…"

 _***SooP***_

When Tsunade hadn't received word, one way or the other, on the two Uchiha's mission she took it upon herself, and a rather large ANBU escort, to check on the situation.

Imagine her shock when she walked in to the large underground chamber, and found the three men talking and laughing as if they were old buddies.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh Hokage-Sama excellent timing. We were just about to come and ask for your opinion on a very important question." Sasuke called out.

The Senju fought back the urge to crater all three men into the ground and gestured for him to continue.

"Who do you think would be a better choice for the Sixth Hokage, Tonton or Gai?"

Tsunade promptly regretted her actions.

***A/N***

*Insert crying here*

Yeah that last part was one of the harder scenes for me to write, I wanted to make it as emotional and tear jerking as possible, and so thus I cried.

Major Uchiha chapter, obviously, but I really enjoyed writing the battle scene. Originally this was supposed to be far more Natsuko oriented but I enjoyed writing Danzo's battle far more than just ten pages of a bunch of Ninja's traveling.

The battle against the Akatsuki will take place next chapter.

Couple minor changes from canon during the battle, Izanagi not having a time limit being one of them, I just never really liked that idea and thus got rid of it.

Also I added in a slight change in Shisui's power.

Until next time I hope everyone enjoyed!


	30. Shoulders of Giants

**Sum of our Parts**

Shoulders of Giants

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"Where am I?" a voice rang out, the owner's sight slowly taking in the dark and desolate area in which they awoke.

The redhead pushed herself up to her feet and noticed a distinctive lack of pain, quite surprising considering her last memories.

There were no stars to navigate by, and no lights in any direction. Instead her surroundings seemed to glow faintly, providing just enough illumination to navigate the flat and barren ground.

So she began to walk.

 _***SooP***_

The gathered Ninja stared in shock and awe at the blonde Uzumaki.

She stood before them, cloaked in what appeared to be a blazing golden outfit. Her skin glowed with a faint hue while her pupils hand changed to small crosses.

Power literally radiated off of her.

Tears continued to roll down her face, yet the rest of her demeanor was calm, as if her emotions had been sealed away.

Those who knew her parents were instantly reminded of the Namikaze during a battle. Calm on the surface, and yet underneath a sea of emotion.

Then the Kunoichi directed her wrath upon those most deserving.

The ground began to shake as roots tore up from it, lightning flashed across the sky where previously there were no clouds, a terrible and fierce wind seemed to emanate from every direction at once

It was if nature itself was enraged at those who had taken away the life of Akane Uzumaki.

 _***SooP***_

"Enough of this bullshit! Hidan flank the bitch while Kakuzu and I provide covering…"

The Konoha forces moved forward to intercept the Akatsuki when a voice rang out instead.

" **They are mine.** "

It was not a request, nor a plea for them to grant her a favor.

It was a command, given by a leader to those under them.

In that moment all of those present knew that this girl would become Hokage, for no one dared to challenge her. Even Jiraiya and Kakashi, who had both served in war, gave light bows of obedience.

The girl's allies fell back behind her.

Kisame sneered in defiance. Despite how powerful the Kyuubi was there was no chance that this girl would be able to defeat three S-Ranked Ninja.

Hell there was very little chance that any of the Konoha forces would be able to make it out of this encounter alive.

Hidan took a step forward, intent on bringing the girl into melee combat.

In a second the girl had begun weaving through hand signs at a furious pace, which even Kakashi admitted he lost count of.

Finally, the girl slammed her hand down onto the ground, before roaring out the name of her Jutsu.

 _"_ _ **Life Release: Last Avatar**_ _"_

The area began to shake, as if the Kunoichi had just called forth an earthquake of epic proportions.

Then a massive object began to tear through the ground next to her.

It appeared like a massive rock, and continued rising into the air even after passing the girl's height.

Moments later she too began to rise, as the ground surrounding them also lifted up towards the heavens.

They continued rising, while the Ninja watched on in mixtures of shock and terror.

"What in Kami's name…" Kurenai muttered refusing to believe her eyes as the true implications of what her student had done began taking shape.

When it was finished the blonde stood on the shoulder of a massive humanoid creation, made of rock and earth.

From what Kakashi had seen the form seemed to be as large, if not even larger, than what the Kyuubi had been all those years ago.

Then the most curious thing of all happened; the massive stone figure turned its head slightly, as if giving a questioning look to the girl who stared down like a vengeful Goddess.

Without even acknowledging the look the teenager gave her command.

" **Kill them**."

The warrior pulled back its fist, one several times larger than a house, and dropped it down towards the money obsessed man.

The attack impacted, and utterly annihilated the surrounding space, knocking down trees and cratering the ground with just the force of the blow.

But Kakuzu was not an S-Ranked criminal for nothing.

He had managed to switch places with the heart that belonged to water just in time to save himself.

This proved to be only a temporary relief, as the massive creature followed up with a, surprisingly swift, backhand.

Again one of his hearts had taken the blow, thus leaving him with only fire and lightning remaining.

Those two struck out, launching ranged attacks against the Jinchuriki in hopes that her fall would defeat the massive creature as well.

Instead the giant raised its hand, easily blocking the assault and appearing to be none the worse for it.

When it was lowered a massive _Rasenshuriken_ tore through the air, completely obliterating the heart associated with lightning.

The last heart fell when the creation 'clapped' its hands together, sending a shockwave of force the slammed into the ground even as the impact smashed the creation of Kakuzu's into dust.

At this point the original man snuck back into the shadows of the forest, hoping to live to fight another day and avoid any more of the blonde's wrath.

 _***SooP***_

"Hello Akane Uzumaki."

The Kunoichi spun around, before calling for her sealed weapons. None came, and a tingle of fear rolled down her spine as the girl faced the man.

Before her stood a fairly young man with orange hair and a small, almost sad, smile adorning his face.

"Who are you, where are we?"

"My name is Nagato, and we are… well I suppose the best way to describe it is 'the place between destinations'." But I suppose you could call it Limbo.

"So I am dead?"

"Not quite, you are on the edge of life and death. I was sent here to retrieve you while your situation is discussed."

"Discussed by who?"

"Kami, the Shinigami, Yami take your pick."

"The God's of this world are discussing me?"

"Indeed, you have become quite the topic of interest since your 'demise', mainly due to the fact that you aren't supposed to be dead."

The girl scoffed in annoyance.

"You are starting to sound like a Hyuga."

"Oh? Is the talk of 'fate' not appealing to you?"

"Fate is a bunch of bullshit. So you can go tell whoever the hell it is you are working for that they can cram the idea up their ass."

The man seemed to smile even wider at her response.

"Good answer, I myself never enjoyed such a concept when I was younger."

"Why were you sent to me anyway? I don't think we have ever met before."

"Not directly, but indirectly we have. I was known as Pein before my death."

The instinctive part of Akane wanted to immediately place herself on guard, that this was an enemy of hers. But the logical side of her brain rang out and reminded her that not only was she unarmed, but they were not even alive at this point.

"That still doesn't answer my question of 'why'."

"No I suppose it doesn't. The true answer is that I volunteered to come here. If you are to be brought back, then I am the best choice to enact the will of the Gods. If you are to fall…"

"Then you would be more than happy to kill me."

"No, after your sister spared my life… well quite a few things were revealed to my blind eyes before I passed on."

 _***SooP***_

The masked Akatsuki growled in rage as he watched on from behind a tree in the forest.

Not only had the Jinchuriki been far more powerful than they had been told but there had been no information at all on this new technique.

Even worse he had lost four of his 'lives' in the process, making the fight too dangerous to continue any longer.

He would escape, find a few more 'donors' and then return when it was convenient for him.

At least that was the plan before a hand came up from behind him, covering his mouth, while a white hot fire burned through his stomach.

The sound of chirping filled the area as a terrifyingly calm voice whispered next to him.

"Do you really think you could just walk away? Did you or your team truly believe we would not do everything in our power to hunt you down for what you did to her?"

The lightning attack slowly shifted upwards, tearing through more of the man's organs as he coughed up blood onto his mask.

Yet his shouts were stifled by the silver haired man's palm

"This is the end for you. Relish in the fact that you are one of the few opponents who have managed to elicit such a reaction from me. For taking that girl's life I have found strength and power that I had long since forgotten. Your actions have reawakened the ANBU within me and for that reason only you have my thanks. But for killing someone precious to me I hope you burn in the darkest circles of whatever hell awaits you."

With that Kakashi tore through the remainder of the man, ending his life once and for all.

 _***SooP***_

The Shark-faced man launched forward with his immortal companion.

Sure Kakuzu had been taken out quite easily but that was due to the man relying on trickery and overwhelming his opponent rather than overpowering them.

The Jinchuriki wouldn't be able to stop Hidan and Kisame's blade and power would be more than enough to bring her down.

The two men leapt up onto the giant's leg, before racing upwards towards where the small girl stood, looking down with a stoic expression.

The giant itself seemed almost… annoyed by the turn of events and swept one hand along it's leg, throwing the Jashinist into the ground.

The other Shinobi had managed to dodge the assault and continue upwards, all while avoiding any attempts at knocking him off.

Finally, he reached the young girl, and swung his legendary sword at her without hesitation.

The blonde dodged backwards before throwing another _Rasenshuriken_ towards her enemy, who smiled and cut through the attack.

"You really should research your opponent more you dumb brat. My sword eats Chakra which means that anything you do is…"

He was interrupted as the girl sprinted forward and grabbed onto the sword itself.

"The hell do you think you are doing!? It doesn't matter if you are a Jinchuriki or not, your Biju Chakra will be gone in…"

A howl of pain erupted from the weapon itself and as the monstrous man watched on in horror as it began to mutate and change, adopting toad-like qualities, before it shifted into a solid stone state.

"Wh-what the hell did you do!?"

" **You should research your opponent more. Natural Energy is the key component to** ** _Sage Mode_** **and if it is not balanced correctly then the result is the user being turned to stone instead.** "

"YOU BITCH I'LL KILL YOU!"

Before the Shinobi could make good on his threats a clawed, golden clad had ripped its way into his stomach.

The man coughed up blood, and cursed his own stupidity at dropping his guard. Leaping backwards, and out of the girl's combat range, he stumbled slightly before making hand signs to try and ranged assault.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten one very important detail.

They were not fighting on neutral ground.

A massive hand surrounded him an instant later, closing in and crushing his body like one might crush an insect.

The remains were then drawn back, as the giant hurled the Akatsuki member through the air with all of its strength.

His body impacted a nearby hill at hundreds of miles an hour.

There was not enough of his corpse left to identify him with.

 _***SooP***_

With a deep groan Hidan managed to push himself off the ground, noting that several of his bones were either fractured or even broken.

Yet still he survived.

He always survived.

A slow chuckle grew into a roaring laughter as he turned to mock the girl.

"DON'T YOU SEE YOU STUPID WHORE? YOU CAN'T KILL ME, I AM IMMORTAL! I WORSHIP THE ALL POWERFU…"

His rant was interrupted by the shadow of an impossibly large foot covering the area.

The giant then stomped the man into the ground, sending another massive shockwave through the area.

The creature took a step back once more, almost as if to survey the damage when the laughter continued, albeit considerably more haggard.

"I TOLD YOU!"

 _***SooP***_

The Avatar turned to give a questioning stare at the girl, who nodded in response.

It turned and delivered another massive stomp into the man.

He continued taunting even still.

Now the creature was actually puzzled. It had no knowledge of any such thing as 'Immortality' yet this man had survived two attacks that should have turned him into paste.

Curious

A slight tilting of its head was the only reaction that the Jashinist received from the stone warrior, before another stomp came down onto his broken body.

Still he taunted.

 _***SooP***_

"Natsuko-chan, he appears to be immortal, you already took out the other two so let me handle this one… for Akane-chan." A voice rang out from the snake mistress.

The girl turned her head towards the woman, and gave an imperceptible nod, before releasing the Jutsu that held her creation onto this world.

The giant nodded, before slowly sinking back into the earth, and placing the girl safely back on the ground.

 _***SooP***_

Anko slowly made her way towards the battered Akatsuki member.

He still ranted and raged, despite being in a rather large foot shaped crater.

"Well well well, what do we have here? Looks like you got the crap kicked out of you… and if the smell is any indication I would say that is fairly accurate."

"LISTEN BITCH, ONCE KAKUZU GET'S HIS LAZY ASS IN GEAR AND REPAIRS ME I AM GOING TO SACRIFICE YOU THEN THAT STUPID BRAT!"

"Considering that Kakashi went off to 'remove' your friend I highly doubt that is going to happen. He may be an S-Ranked criminal but Hatake wasn't an ANBU Captain for nothing you know. My guess is that the other 'immortal' is already dead. That just leaves you doesn't it?"

"SO WHAT YOU GOING TO INTERROGATE ME NOW HUH? MAKE ME TALK OR SOME BULLSHIT!?"

"No I think you have talked enough for one lifetime. I am here to make sure that you are never heard again."

With that the woman took out a small case, which contained a handful of senbon.

The then threw them into the man's neck.

He glanced around, before laughing out once more.

"THAT'S IT? ALL THAT STUPID DRAMATIC CRAP AND ALL YOU DO IS…"

It was at that moment that the Jashinist found it getting increasingly difficult to speak.

"Ah it must be taking effect. Looks like I was right and that it would be quite efficient when used. Since you probably have a lot of questions, but find yourself unable to ask them, I will answer what I assume you are about to ask. Those senbon were poisoned, like most tend to be. The difference is that these were dipped in a very special toxin created using the Kusanagi and a combination of my own toxins. Ironically it was Akane-chan who suggested it."

The woman paused, staring up into the sky in remembrance of the girl, as tears began falling from her face.

"Why did you have to take her from us? Why her? Didn't she suffer enough in her short life? Couldn't you assholes have gone to Kumo instead and gotten your asses kicked there?"

Hidan tried to retort, to 'rub salt into the wounds' so to speak. But by now he could no longer move any part of his body.

Instead he was forced to watch on with unblinking eyes.

After a few minutes the woman composed herself and continued on with her explanation, "Like I was saying it was a new poison we created. It mixes the powerful paralytic with a caustic neurotoxin I perfected from the bastard who called himself my Sensei. The effect is quite interesting it literally dissolves the portion of your nervous system that allows impulses to be sent to various points of your body. In simplified terms it paralyzes your body… forever. Now normally this would be a powerful weapon in combat by itself… but for you… well you are immortal after all. So now I am going to bury you, deep and dark in the ground. I will bury you so far down that no one will ever find you. There you will stay for the rest of eternity. So enjoy your immortality asshole."

With that the woman began a series of hand signs for a Jutsu that she had demanded Kakashi teach her.

Moments later the ground below the, now frozen, man opened up and swallowed him into a near bottomless hole.

He fell for hours until reaching his final resting place.

 _***SooP***_

 **'Natsuko-chan… I am so sorry about Akane…'**

The blonde didn't trust herself to responded, and merely nodded slightly to acknowledge the Biju.

 **'She helped me. Somehow she managed to give you the other half of my power. I don't know how but she kept out the negative influence that came with it… Your sister was an amazing person Natsuko-chan.'**

'Yes, she was. Despite everything that she has gone through…' Here the girl had to pause, forcing herself not to break down in sobs at having to think about what happened to her sister. 'She was still thought of others before herself… she always put me first even though she suffered because of me.'

The Kyuubi thought for a moment, trying to think of how to word her next statement.

 **'I don't think she regretted any of it Natsuko-chan. She was one of the rare types of people that would have given everything up a thousand times just to help who she cared about. I doubt that she had any regrets concerning you when she passed on.'**

The blonde nodded, allowing the fiery cloak to fade, and returning to her normal state.

 _***SooP***_

"Hello my child, we have finally come to a decision." A warm, motherly voice rang out.

Akane turned to the beautiful woman, clad all in white, in curiosity.

"It has been deemed that you are far too important for the sake of this world to merely allow fate to claim you before your destined time. Too many things are dependent on you. Add to that the fact that you should not be here to begin with and…"

"Excuse me, what do you mean by that?"

Nagato could only gape at the girl, had she just interrupted Kami?

The woman chuckled in an angelic manner before continuing on. "You should not have passed on from the extraction."

"I thought that Jinchuriki died if their Biju is removed."

"They do, but you are sort of the exception to the rule. Due to your heritage, and the cruelties of the creature locked within you, your life force and Chakra are both far denser than nearly any creature before you. Because of that alone you would have survived, albeit barely. The second reasoning is that you slowly removed the Kyuubi's influence on you and your life force through seals. This adds in another reason that you should have survived. The only reason that you are here now is because of your last sacrifice. By using your body as a last minute conduit to your sister and the Kyuubi inside of her you managed to reunite the two halves of its essence. But by doing this you also overloaded your own Chakra and life networks."

Akane merely shrugged, to her it had been worth it to help her sister in the end.

"Such a noble sacrifice cannot be shrugged off. For always taking care of your sister, and even those who you had no real reason for doing so, we will reverse the fate you imposed upon yourself. Nagato if you would please."

The orange haired man was still staring in shock, it wasn't every day that the God of all creation commended someone and offered them a second chance after all.

After a few moments, and finally the Goddess clearing her voice to gain his attention, the man nodded and activated his Rinnegan.

 _***SooP***_

The Ninja slowly made their way back to where the two youngest girls still stood.

Though they had won, and had not suffered any casualties in the battles, a sense of defeat still hung in the air. None believed that three S-Ranked criminals were worth the life of the young girl.

"What am I going to do now? She was all I had left; she was all I ever had…" Natsuko whispered out.

"You are going to stay with Hanabi-chan and me, you are not going to go home and be by yourself." Hinata answered firmly.

"You still have us Natsuko. I know that it does not come close to what you had before but… we are not going to let you fall apart and into depression. You are too strong for that and Akane would not have wanted it." Anko chimed in.

"She's right, Akane would have wanted us to take care of you and that is what we are going to do. She saved my student and I fully intend to make sure her sacrifice was not in vein." The cyclopean Jonin nodded as well.

"Thank you but I…"

Suddenly the redheaded, formerly dead Kunoichi, gasped out. Then began violently coughing and rolling onto her side.

"Holy crap that hurts." The girl groaned out.

The others watched on, frozen in shock, before Hinata snapped into her 'medic mode'.

Healing Jutsu began flowing from her hands as she went through every test her mind could come up with.

"Heart rate fast but acceptable, breathing normal, no internal bleeding, Chakra flow weak but expected, no broken bones, no immediate life threatening injuries… Kami it's a miracle."

The blonde broke into happy sobs as she threw herself into her sister with a fierce hug.

"Bit… lighter… Natsuko… can't… breathe…"

The girl loosened a bit, but did not move from her position of sobbing into the Kunoichi's torso.

The Sanin was the first of the 'adults' to recover and ask a question "A-Akane… how?"

"Apparently my life is far too interesting to let end here. Oh and Nagato-Sama says hello and that he is sorry."

The white haired man's expression became even more shocked, before it settled on acceptance and he quickly moved to embrace the two girls, tears flowing down his face as the full scope of what happened finally settled in.

Anko and Kurenai followed shortly after, with Hinata joining in seconds later.

Kakashi tried to join the group hug, with a handle placed subtly on Anko's ass, but was met with a smack to the back of his head from Yugao.

"Let them have their moment… pervert…"

"Mah mah don't be so upset Yugao-chan. After all this is a happy occasion. We must celebrate!"

"If you even _suggest_ anything sexual I will tell Hayate that you solicited me and the Hokage that you copped a feel from the Uzumakis."

Kakashi paled at both of these outcomes, but more so at the thought of Tsunade smashing his testicles in.

"So mean…."

 _***SooP***_

After the hug had let off, and Akane had recovered enough to stand, Hinata gained a determined look in her eyes and walked over to the girl.

"Sorry for worrying you Hina…"

But the Hyuga wasn't interested in the apology, as noted when she put her finger to the girl's lips motioning her to be silent.

"I love you."

With that the pale eyed girl took a step forward, practically pressing their bodies together, and smashed her lips into the redhead's.

A split second later she shoved her tongue down the shocked girl's throat with as much passion as possible.

The others watched on, equally shocked, before Kakashi broke out in perverted giggles, Asuma began violently leaking blood from his nose, Anko gave a 'whoop' for joy, and Jiraiya started taking notes.

The other women were not amused in the slightest at their teammates.

After a minute passed Kurenai decided to break up the 'make out session', "Hinata let the poor girl up for air!"

The medical practitioner did as was requested with a happy, and sort of 'drunken', look on her face.

Yugao swore she heard the girl mutter something about the taste of apples.

"Hinata, you should make out with Natsuko next." Kakashi whispered out, just loud enough for the girl to hear.

The older Kunoichi turned fierce glares on the man, promising pain beyond compare for his little comment.

In her state, however, Hinata seemed to think that it had come from her own mind. Grabbing the blonde, who let out a startled 'eep' in response, Hinata once more mashed her mouth with another's.

"Kakashi, if you become Hokage I will follow you to the ends of the Earth." Asuma muttered out, watching in awe at the new scene.

"Me too…" The cyclopean Jonin responded, oblivious to what had been said as he stared in perverted bliss.

Jiraiya's notepad had caught fire from how fast he was writing.

Finally, Hinata broke off that kiss as well, before Kakashi figured he might as well go for broke.

"Natsuko you should kiss Akane, just to make it fair."

Hinata's eyes widened, as blood began pouring from her nose at the thought. She never nodded in agreement so fast in her life.

This time the redhead glared at the man as well.

"Oh don't worry about that ero-Inu. I have something… especially tasty planned for Akane-chan when we get back to Konoha."

This was too much for the two male Jonin, and they were promptly rocketed back in geysers of blood.

 _***SooP***_

"Reporting for debriefing Hokage-Sama." Kakashi announced, snapping into an ANBU pose.

Tsunade did a double take in shock, she had never seen the silver haired man be so… proper before.

She also noticed that Natsuko never seemed to be more than five feet from her sister, almost clinging to her most of the time.

Anko and Kurenai were standing behind the two, glancing around as if constantly on guard.

Hinata was standing far closer to the two sisters than normal Ninja ethics would deem proper.

Even Jiraiya seemed to be tensed, as if ready to fight some unseen enemy.

"Is everything… okay?"

"It is now Hokage-Sama."

The woman caught the meaning immediately. Something had happened during the mission.

"Very well, before we begin let me just say that I am incredibly relieved to see you alive and well Akane."

"Thank you Tsunade-san," The woman's heart leapt at the use of honorifics, she had made it one of her missions in life to be considered one of those the girl trusted on a first name basis. "Have you managed to apprehend the traitor then?"

The others turned towards the girl, both confused and shocked.

The Senju merely smirked. She was starting to wonder which of the two sisters would be the better Hokage when the time came to pass the hat on.

"Indeed we have, and after this meeting I need to speak with you about that in private."

The girl nodded in acknowledgement.

 _***SooP***_

The explanations of what had occurred during the mission had ended with the Hokage leaping over the desk and pulling the redhead into a massive hug.

The thought of losing another person in her life had the woman on the verge of tears.

Afterwards the woman had explained that the traitor had been found guilty, and that sentencing would be held in a few hours by the council.

The two Uzumaki, along with their team, had been told to join as well.

 _***SooP***_

"Danzo Shimura, you have been found guilty of all crimes of which you have been accused. This council will now move onto sentencing."

The man glared at the village leader in response.

With a gesture the Nara clan leader stepped forward.

"After some deliberation we have decided that the only punishment fit for this man is death Hokage-Sama."

The woman nodded, before another voice spoke up.

"Hokage-Sama, may I have a word with you in private for a moment? I wanted to speak with you before the sentencing took place but you were preoccupied."

"Of course Itachi-San."

The two Ninja stepped off to the side, and out of hearing distance, before the man began whispering.

Minutes later the woman's growls of rage could be heard, and she promptly punched a crater into a nearby wall.

With barely concealed rage the woman stepped back to the podium to face the criminal.

"Due to some… information… that I have just received we will be changing the sentencing slightly. Death via decapitation is too good for scum like you and so I have thought of a considerably more fitting end. Akane Uzumaki please step forward."

The redhead did as commanded with a confused expression, matched by all the others in the room.

"Akane, it has been revealed to us that the man standing before you is the one responsible for the, 'lost month' of your life all those years ago. As such I pass sentencing completely onto you. Deal with him as you please."

The killing intent in the room erupted, causing all civilian council members to faint, any most Ninja to gasp in shock.

The fury on Natsuko's face could have given the man a heart attack.

The redhead merely stared at him with a stoic expression before turning and gesturing for her Sensei to approach.

The two conversed for a brief second before the woman nodded.

Walking up to the criminal the young girl proceeded to draw a series of Fuinjutsu on his forehead before nodding to the woman, whose hands blazed into signs.

Moments later the man gasped out in agony, before slumping over to the floor.

He continued breathing, but his eyes were empty and the rest of his body remained unresponsive.

"Akane-chan, what did you do to the bastard?" Anko inquired, wanting to torture the man herself for a few days.

"I am sure that Jiraiya mentioned that I was working on a method to block all Genjutsu back during the Chunin exams correct?" The various nods gave the girl her answer, "I was unsuccessful, but what I did figure out was quite the opposite, how to make a Genjutsu _permanent_."

The horrified looks from most of the Ninja showed just how powerful such a thing was.

"Which one did you put him under Kurenai-san?" Kakashi growled out, slightly annoyed himself that he was not given a few hours of 'play time' with the bastard.

"The most fitting one we could think of. It forces the target to experience the worst memories of someone. The problem is that it is doesn't last very long, only a second or two normally. Thus it is used as a short distraction. But with that seal…."

"He will be forced to live through the hell that he put my sister through… for the rest of his life."

Those gathered winced at the malice that the blonde had used in her tone.

"Should have let me have some 'fun' with the asshole first…" Anko grumbled out.

 _***SooP***_

"Now that the Akatsuki are all but destroyed I would like to explain what was discussed during the Kage conference." Tsunade declared to all of the Ninja of Konoha, who had called to gather in the meeting hall. "The man, who refers to himself as 'Madara' has declared war against the world, and through Jiraiya's spy network we have confirmation that he has some sort of army that threatens us all. All of the Ninja nations have thus formed a temporary alliance until this threat has passed."

"What is the plan for this war Hokage-Sama?" Asuma called out.

"Simple, we know that it will take him at least six months to finish creating his forces. Until that time, we will be looking for him… and training. If we cannot stop him by then we will join up with the other nations to crush him once and for all."

The various Ninja nodded, each preparing their own training for the war to come.

*** _Omake_ ***

"You may have won the battle but you _will_ lose the war Uchiha."

"Considering that your fate is going to be decided in a few hours I doubt you will live long enough to see it either way Danzo."

"Perhaps, but you have already lost her."

Itachi flinched slightly, before turning to the man.

"Oh you are surprised that I am aware of your interest in the Uzumaki? Please, my spy network was almost as extensive as Jiraiya's was. Why do you think I used that during our battle?"

"It matters not what you think."

"True, but it does matter what _she_ thinks. She is too damaged to have a relationship with you and you know it. The 'process' broke her in too many ways. We both know that she will never be able to have a relationship with a man."

"If that is true then I will respect her wishes."

"An Uchiha allowing himself to be bested by a Hyuga? Truly the times are changing. If you truly were your father's son then you would take what is owed to you and rebuild your clan, and Konoha's future, by any means necessary. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few after all."

Itachi seemed to take stock in what the man said, listening even closer, much to the traitor's delight.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Genes such as Akane's should not be wasted, and she has shown a passing interest in you. You should let nature take its course and simply force her to bear your children."

"Force her?"

"Yes… she might disagree at first but like all women she will be broken to your will easily enough. Then you will be able to rebuild your clan stronger than ever. I can see the desire in your eyes for her, would it not be far more logical to act on them rather than holding yourself back?"

"I think…"

"Yes…"

"I think that I will enjoy watching her tear your heart out of your chest you monster."

With that Itachi turned to leave, which put a deeper frown on the former council member's face for being led along in such a way.

 _***Omake 2***_

Hinata crept through the ever growing twilight until she reached her destination.

The Senju compound, and home of her two teammates.

The Hyuga girl knew she shouldn't interrupt. That she should leave them in peace but… she couldn't get Natsuko's words out of her head.

 _"I have something… especially tasty planned for Akane-chan when we get back to Konoha."_

The pale eyed girl _had_ to know what she meant.

So she knocked, almost silently, on the door.

Moments later Akane answered and invited her inside and lead her to the dining room where she had previously been told to wait.

"What brings you here Hinata? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you were both okay."

The redhead nodded before a voice called out from a nearby room.

"Alright Akane-chan, time for your surprise."

Hinata's heart began pounding in her chest, her hands sweating as dozens of perverted images flashed through her mind.

In walked Natsuko… carrying a large pot of ramen.

The Byakugan wielder resisted the urge to face palm. Of course that was what the blonde had meant, why she had thought it would be anything else was… silly.

"Oh hey Hinata-chan, are you joining us tonight?"

"No no I was just stopping by to make sure that you two were okay. Hanabi is waiting for me at home." With that the girl ran a few simple medical Jutsus over the formerly deceased girl, and noted everything was perfectly normal. Giving a slight bow to both sisters Hinata excused herself, allowing Akane to walk to out, and headed home, shaking her head at how ridiculous her mind had mad the situation.

"Well that certainly was strange, don't you think Natsuk…"

When the seal master walked back into the room her eyes had widened to epic levels.

Her sister was still there, but was dressed in nothing _except_ for the ramen.

"Like what you see _Akane-chan_?" the blonde practically purred out.

"N-N-Natsuko what are you…"

"How about we take a bet?"

"Wh-what?"

"I bet that that I can get you to call me Natsuko- _chan_ by the end of the night." The blonde whispered out huskily as she slowly approached her sister.

It was the one time that Akane would lose a bet to her sister.

***A/N***

So I hadn't actually planned for this arc to end on chapter 30 originally… just sort of happened that way I guess.

Akane survived YAY! Originally I had it as she knew that she would survive, and had placed herself into a Zabuza-like coma… but it felt too ridiculous after reading it over.

Also I would like to give a huge shout out to all my commentators. You guys made this chapter in a way. Originally I had the Akatsuki fighting the various Konoha Ninja, but then after going through all the comments a couple times I realized that it was extremely unsatisfying and I wanted Natsuko to play a far greater role in the revenge.

Now we see how powerful Life Release can _truly_ be.

I am particularly proud of how I dealt with Danzo. I had almost forgotten what to do with him until I remembered that conversation from the Chunin exam section. Quite a fitting end in my opinion.

*For those of you who had been asking, the "pairings" have been decided, although they will still be far from important and mostly remain as side interactions, or the occasional Omake. I have chosen Akane x Hinata with a bit of Natsuko thrown in for Yuri goodness.

I had a lot of problems choosing between Itachi and Hinata until one of my readers reminded me of something.

Hinata has been developed, and has played an important role, throughout the story whereas Itachi wasn't really introduced until the Chunin exams. Even then he was very minor.

Reading back over the story I recalled that Hinata was actually _supposed_ to be the main pairing, the first real instance being the "training in the rain" scene with her and Akane.

I had actually forgotten about that until recently.

Sorry all of you Itachi x Akane fans, I might make a few alternate reality scenes between them as Omakes later on but… what can I say, Hinata x Uzumaki sisters makes me squeal with excitement.

Another little time skip, to justify a few fights that will be taking place later on, before the Fourth Shinobi War officially kicks in. As promised there will be quite a few twists and turns but overall I expect this will be a slightly shorter arc than the others, mainly due to the fact I never actually read this far into the manga and I am sort of just skimming over canon for this part hehe.

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I had a lot of fun rewriting it.


	31. Stratagems and War

**Sum of our Parts**

Stratagems and War

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"Welcome fellow Kages. I am pleased that we were all able to assemble here with little difficulty and…"

"Enough of this woman! We have spent enough time going over pleasantries and talk, now is the time for action!" 'A' roared out in annoyance, earning himself a glare from the blonde Hokage.

"No, now is the time for planning and strategizing, unless you wish to take your force and charge headfirst into an enemy of unknown strength and number. In that case you can do so alone." Gaara countered.

"That is the first problem that we need to address. We are all united in opposition to the opposing forces and we need to act like it. I suggest we begin choosing commanders and officers that will be the overall leaders of our army."

"The Hokage is right. If we each try and lead five different armies then we will fall in five different ways." The Mizukage called out in support.

"Then I elect myself 'supreme commander' of all armed forces!"

"Why the hell would we choose some war mongering ass hat for our leader?" the younger woman shot back towards the dark skinned muscled man.

"EXCUSE ME!? GIVE ME ONE REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T…"

It was Tsunade that ended the argument this time, "ENOUGH! We are not getting anywhere by opening old wounds and bickering about them! Despite our differences I believe that Tsuchikage-Sama should be the overall commander. He is by far the most knowledgeable of everyone here and has been shown to be an adept general as well. Plus the 'supreme commander' should not be on the front lines fighting battles, which I suspect you are more than interested in doing 'A'."

The larger man huffed before nodding in acknowledgement.

"I… am surprised that you would recommend me Hokage-Sama, very well I accept. Now then the first thing we need is detailed information concerning our enemy. From there we will be able to choose the battlefield that will most benefit us and hinder them."

"I already have Jiraiya and several of our other top spies working on gathering that information. We should have a fairly accurate picture within the next day or so."

"Splendid! Now then despite the fact that we need to consolidate our forces we also require commanders so that our forces can operate regardless of communications. I would like every Kage here to make a list of those they would entrust to such a role and from there we can divide up the army into individual units. Since 'B' is here and Kazekage-Sama is as well I can assume that they are still in possession of their Biju, what of the Kyuubi's Jinchurikis?"

Tsunade hesitated at this, she wanted to trust her fellow leaders but one could never be too careful with information. Deciding to take the gamble she went with the honest answer.

"The Kyuubi was extracted from Akane Uzumaki several months ago."

"No…."

The blonde Kage turned to the other blonde in the room, Temari. The poor girl looked horrified that something had befallen one of the few Konoha Ninja she had come to trust and appreciate.

Gaara's normal stoic expression seemed on the verge of shattering as well, with rage and despair tugging on the edges of his face.

"It's okay she survived and has recovered quite well."

The news earned a deathly silence from those in the room.

"She… survived her Biju being extracted? But… how?" 'A' muttered out in shock.

"Yo yo yo girls got skills from the hills and luck she can't chuck. Gotta say I would like to ask 'hey any way' she can spread some love like a dove and share some secrets that I could request?"

The Senju stared blankly at the other Jinchuriki for a moment, trying to process what had just been rapped to her, when his leader clarified.

"What he means is 'is there any chance she could share with us how she survived'? I would be very interested in applying the same process to 'B' just in case."

"Hey get in line you over muscled creep, our brother comes first!" Kankuro spat out, earning glares from those present at interrupting.

"Unfortunately it wouldn't work on anyone else. Akane is an extremely special case in that she slowly separated the Biju from her own body over the course of years growing up. When it was extracted the damage it caused was minimal."

"Why would she do that? I know that Jinchuriki are given hard lives but still… to take away a future advantage you would have seems a bit ridiculous." Mei pondered.

"True, but apparently her situation was even worse than Kazekage-Sama's. Where he was just shouted at and isolated… she was actually mentally tortured by her Biju."

Everyone's eyes widened at that information, Gaara's most of all. Sure it had been terrible being the host of Shukaku but the creature had never done more than shout at him, and keep him up at night. Most of the problems had come from his father trying to turn him into a weapon.

For her to stay sane, while going through that as well…

 _***SooP***_

"Congratulations Shikamaru, you are now the lieutenant of the First Division under the Kazekage." His father happily proclaimed.

The boy in question just groaned in aggravation, before banging his head down onto the table he was sitting at.

"Oh come on now son, I know that you wanted to work with me but we can't always…"

"No, I didn't want any type of command position _at all_. Why was I chosen for this?"

"The Hokage highly recommended you and the Kazekage has faith in your tactical abilities."

"Shouldn't he have just chosen one of the Uchiha, or the Uzumaki instead? Surely they are stronger and better suited for…"

"He doesn't trust the Uchiha, and if the Hokage had recommended one of the Uzumaki sisters I am sure he would have immediately chosen them. But she did not, thus he did not."

That statement earned curious glances from the other members of the 'Konoha 13'.

"Why didn't she recommend them? Obviously they are some of the strongest…" Ino was interrupted once more by the Nara clan leader.

"We are well aware of their abilities in fact I have some suspicion that even _I_ do not know what they are truly capable of. But the Hokage has other plans for them in this conflict. In fact she explicitly stated that they would not be placed under _anyone's_ command save for her own."

"Ugh this is all so…"

"Troublesome, yes I know. But quite frankly I think you are an excellent choice for the position. Besides I hear that Temari will be serving as one of Gaara's personal guard so you will probably end up spending a lot of _time_ together." The older man hinted with a smirk.

This seemed to perk up the usually lazy boy considerably.

"Well I guess it won't be too bad…"

Laughter filled the room from the other Konoha Ninja.

"What about the rest of us Nara-Sama?" The Inuzuka boy inquired.

"Well most of you will be placed in teams that you already have worked with before, to keep retraining as minimal as possible. I know that Shizune-San is being put in charge of the Medical Brigade, and Kakashi is commander of the Fourth Division. I believe he requested your brother as his lieutenant Sasuke."

The Uchiha boy nodded in confirmation. His brother would be an excellent choice for any type of leadership role.

"As for the rest of you, expect a scroll pertaining to what Division you will be placed in and where to assemble. Come along now son, all officers are required to attend the meetings concerning the intel that Jiraiya-Sama managed to obtain."

Once again the Nara heir let out a groan.

Hopefully Temari would be at the meetings as well.

 _***SooP***_

"My fellow commanders, we have been chosen by the Kage to lead the 'Grand Shinobi Alliance'. As such it has been decided that the bulk of the army will be split into five divisions. Each of these will have a commander, a lieutenant, and any other officers that they choose. Generally we will keep the divisions separated based on one of the villages but there may be times where…"

"I don't mean to interrupt but might I make a suggestion?" Itachi gently interrupted, while giving a slight bow to show he meant no disrespect.

"If it pertains to the discussion then by all means" Kitsuchi finished.

"I have seen the results of 'keeping forces separate' before. In Konoha my clan was isolated much the same way. However I feel as though it might be a better choice to build the divisions out of soldiers from all of the villages."

"Hmm not a bad idea Itachi-san, but I am curious if you have a reason besides just your experience in Konoha." Darui remarked.

The Uchiha nodded before continuing on, "If our enemy is as informed as we believe they are, then they will see the separation between the divisions and each ones specialization. All this is going to do is all them to target certain units with specialized tactics. I agree that some emphasis is needed between different regiments but to specialize an entire division of the army to just one element and one goal is just painting a target on them."

"I agree with the Uchiha. Not only that, but there is no hiding the fact that animosity still exists between the five villages. If an entire group is made up of soldiers from just one village then they might be reluctant to provide aid to another from a rival. If we combine the soldiers together rather than keeping these distinctions it might even help relations between us after the war is over." Gaara proclaimed, earning a nod of thanks from the Sharingan wielder.

"I believe I can speak for my village and Kage when I agree with both Itachi-San and Kazekage-Sama. Certain villages specialize in various traits even beyond our elemental affinities. I know that I would feel better having a few medical Ninja from Konoha in our division and some long ranged specialists from Kumo." Chojuro commented.

"Well we were given authorization to create our divisions however we want so I suppose it might not annoy our leaders too terribly much. Alright then as long as everyone is in agreement let's move on to the next order of business. Kitsuchi would you like to take the reins once more?" Kakashi inquired, gesturing for the man to continue his original speech.

"Thank you Kakashi-San, since the makeup of our army has now changed I believe we will need to change the original plan we had for the war as well. As the spy networks have ascertained we are heavily outnumbered by our enemy. Reports show anywhere from three to four times our number. The original idea was to hold the front line with two of the divisions and having the other three in support. Since this will most likely change I would like to see if anyone else has a better idea."

The cyclopean Ninja gave a slight glance over to the Nara genius, who sighed in response.

"Yeah I guess I have one. Since they outnumber us by this much it would be the most logical to find a choke point and hold that with one to two different divisions. Then once they start to take casualties or get tired we swap them out with two of the rested divisions to continue the fight and allow the other to rest and recuperate. This also leaves the fifth division in reserve for protection against flanking and such."

The others conversed with themselves for a few minutes before nodding in agreement.

"Seems like a good plan to all of us Nara-San, well then all we need to do is begin picking out soldiers, so start sorting your best into categories and skill levels and we can get this underway." The Iwa Shinobi finished, before mentally going over his own forces.

 _***SooP***_

"SOLDIERS OF THE GRAND SHINOBI ALLIANCE, WE HAVE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST AN ENEMY THAT THREATENS OUR VERY EXISTENCE!" 'A' roared out as the army stood in formation. "BUT FEAR NOT MY FELLOW SOLDIERS, FOR WE SHALL PREVAIL AGAINST ALL TYRANNY, AGAINST ALL EVIL, AND AGAINST ALL FOES!"

At this the army gave a loud call of acknowledgement, their combined voice echoing through the valley where they gathered.

"Sir, the 'white army' draws near, we estimate that we will be able to spot them within the hour." A nearby runner whispered to the large general.

"Very good, prepare the front line troops and get everyone into position. Make sure that the other commanders and their officers are alerted as well."

The messenger nodded, before springing off with his orders.

 _***SooP***_

The White Zetsu army began their approach onto where the allied camp had been setup. The route first took them through a heavily forested area, and then into a narrow valley which lead between two mountains. The Shinobi had setup in the valley just beyond that entrance.

As the soldiers began making their way, looking more like an endless river than an army, their voyage was suddenly interrupted by the sound of popping from the nearby trees.

Hundreds of kunai rained down upon them from every conceivable angle, and although they had been created to be considerably more resistant than the average human being they still lost nearly a hundred in the ambush.

Immediately the mutated men retaliated, diving towards the sources of the assault. Instead of finding an ambush party they located only various types of traps that had been sprung by the approach.

The mindless soldiers went back to their ranks, continuing on with expressionless faces until the ground underneath them erupted in fire and concussive blasts.

The first twenty or so of them were immediately destroyed, with the follow ups taking severe damage as well.

Still they continued on. A few dozen, hell even a few hundred, casualties would make no difference in the long run.

So they continued, occasionally losing small groups as they proceeded along the trapped road.

 _***SooP***_

"That was a pretty good idea Shikamaru, putting traps along their few axis of approach." Temari complimented as she stood by her two brothers.

"Eh I guess so, less work for us then. Your brother was the one who you should praise though he did volunteer to lead the unit that placed them after all."

The Kunoichi's brother blushed slightly, not used to the praise that he was receiving for once, "Nah it was no big deal, besides I figure this was the least I can do for Konoha giving us access to all of Sasori's puppets. They could have just as easily taken them back to your village for study."

The genius waved him off absentmindedly, "I doubt it we don't really have any puppet users to speak of. It was your criminal in the first place."

The boy nodded, along with Gaara, in appreciation.

"You know after this is all over you should come by Suna for a visit, I have my own apartment now…" the blonde nonchalantly mentioned, earning glares from her brothers. Meanwhile the Nara developed a massive blush at the innuendo.

 _***SooP***_

When the enemy army finally made it to the allied forces they found that the natural choke point had been narrowed even further, making it impossible for more than a few of their soldiers to progress through the gap.

Ignoring this, the endless hoard charged forward, and was met with a massive barrage of Jutsu and projectiles.

Yet still they pressed on, and eventually forced the Ninja to engage them in close combat, where their unique biology began to truly make up the difference.

Even unarmed the Zetsu were dangerous, being able to shape their limbs into various improvised weapons. Furthermore they were highly resistant to damage and lacking more than a few of the internal organs that a standard Ninja would target in a battle.

They felt no fear and no remorse. They did not suffer from morale losses or confusion. They were the perfect soldiers.

 _***SooP***_

"Hey teme what's your count at? I bet you I'm winning though ass hat. I am already at thirteen so suck it you…"

"Sixteen" the boy's teammate replied, after cutting through another enemy soldier.

The Inuzuka's eye began to twitch in annoyance at his teammate, once again, showing him up.

"Not bad Sasuke, but I am at twenty three."

It was the younger Uchiha's turn to develop an eye twitch as his older brother announced his 'count'.

"You know what screw you guys, Akamaru time for our newest technique!"

The large dog promptly took up position next to the boy, who immediately created a _Kage Bunshin._ The three figures then disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reemerging as a mass three headed dog.

 _"Inuzuka Secret Technique: Human Beast Fusion"_

The voice that growled out seemed to come from all three heads at once, which then proceeded to take a deep breath, and breathe out fire onto thee different groups of White Zetsu. The fire spread, before eventually culminating in a massive pillar, engulfing well over a dozen more enemies.

Afterwards the transformation ended, revealing a panting boy and his companion.

"I… call that… the… _Inuzuka Flame Barrage_ …"

"You couldn't come up with a better name than that?" Sasuke questioned, turning slightly so that his teammate missed the smirk on his face.

"I… hate you… so… much…"

"Let me show you how a _real_ clan heir fights kibbles, _Amaterasu._ "

The boy focused the black inferno up into the air, slowly accumulating storm clouds due to the heat and cloaking the land in an ominous shadow.

"Sasuke what are you…" Itachi began, before his younger brother interrupted him.

 _"Kirin"_

With that a massive lightning dragon descended from the clouds, slamming into the ground below and vaporizing a large group of enemies.

"Sasuke-kun that was amazing!" Ino shouted in joy.

"She's right Sasuke-kun you could win the entire war by yourself with that technique! Why don't you just use it all the time?" The pinkette chimed in, focusing most of the attention onto the boy.

"Uhh… well the funny thing is… I can only use it once a day…"

Everyone in the area sweat dropped from his statement.

"And you decided to use it… when we really didn't need the assistance… just to show off?" The older Uchiha questioned, in a mixture of monotone and annoyance.

"Uhhhhhh yes?"

Itachi held back the face palm with all of his might.

 _***SooP***_

The battle continued on, as the White Zetsu army fought back and forth with the allies.

Soldiers on both sides continued to fall. Despite the fact that the casualties favored the Shinobi they were already heavily outnumbered, meaning that they simply could not _afford_ to take heavy losses.

"Choji, get ready to throw him!" Hinata called out, before her lightning-enhanced hands struck one of the enemy soldiers a dozen times.

The Akimichi nodded, before enlarging his own body and tossing the struck soldier far back into the enemy ranks.

Seconds later it exploded, taking out another group of soldiers in the process.

"Wow Hinata that was awesome, where did you learn that?" A certain pinkette inquired, after bashing another Zetsu's head in.

She and Ino had received quite a bit of training from Gai and his team before the war, thus strengthening them in case an enemy would be resistant against Genjutsu.

"I created it myself I call it _Rolling Thunder: Twelve Degrees of Overload_."

"Damn Hinata-chan you make the rest of us girls look like slackers." Ino called out from nearby, having jammed a kunai into one of her opponents.

"Speak for yourself… slackers." The Kunoichi of Team nine muttered before raining down projectiles on a group of adversaries, destroying many and allowing the remaining to be picked off by nearby soldiers.

 _***SooP***_

"This isn't good man I knew I shouldn't have accepted this position." A certain genius Nara muttered to himself as he went over the newest information with his companions.

"What's wrong Shikamaru? I thought we had all the advantages right now." Ino interrupted, confusion lacing her tone.

"Yes, but the problem is that the enemy still outnumbers us by a considerable amount. They are moving a massive portion of troops along the western side, behind the mountains. The forces there were pulled back due to communication problems with the other generals and now our flank is exposed."

The boy continued racking his brain for a solution. If they tried to setup a chokepoint it was doubtful that they could secure it with enough forces in time to repel the attack. Any attempt at counter attacking would be likewise delayed and thus earn far more casualties for their own side.

The only solution that he could see would be to set up a temporary defensive position to slow them down, hopefully buying enough time to finish the primary battle and then shift their forces to counter the new threat.

The problem was that this would be a suicide mission for anyone he would send.

"Damnit…" the boy swore, realizing that no matter what choice he made the casualties would be high, and it would be his fault.

"Is there anything we can do to help Shika-kun?" a feminine voice called out as the two Uzumaki sisters arrived into the command tent.

"A bit late aren't we?" Kankuro shot back in annoyance.

Luckily the two girls merely ignored the man, keeping their attention focused on the 'genius'.

The lazy boy merely chuckled, "Yeah sure, if you think you can get rid of over twenty thousand enemy soldiers that would be great."

The blonde took on a 'cute' thinking pose, as if considering the situation, before nodding excitedly.

"Okay!"

The two then turned and hastily left the tent.

The Konoha Ninja stared dumbfounded for a few moments, before promptly running after the two girls.

 _***SooP***_

"Uh Natsuko-chan, no offense but they are on the other side of that mountain range, also I don't know if you quite understand the meaning of 'twenty thousand' but it's… well that's a lot of soldiers."

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, we got this! Alright Akane-chan you ready for the 'Uzumaki Grand Finale'?"

The redhead merely nodded, before unsealing a large container from her arm.

Kiba waited for a few moments, noticing that hundreds of other soldiers had now taken notice of the two girls.

"OH COME ON, NO ONE IS GONNA CALL THEM OUT FOR THAT?! Man this is such bullshit…"

"Still adorable…" the pinkette muttered out.

They turned their attention back to the two sisters, at which Akane promptly threw the large container up into the air, which poured a thick black pool onto the ground.

"Uh… what is…"

Kankuro was interrupted when the blonde girl started flowing through dozens of hand signs.

 _"Life Release: Last Avatar"_

"Wait what did she just say?" Choji called out from nearby.

Suddenly the ground began to shake, as once more a massive soldier rose from the ground, this time directly from the area covered in the black substance.

Those who had never seen this technique before, and even the ones who had, stared slack jawed at the massive creature that had been summoned, who head parted the clouds.

For that brief moment the fighting seemed to halt, as all stood witness to the creature brought forth into creation.

Even Gaara's normally stoic expression turned to one of shock and awe.

"Wh-wha… WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT!?" A nearby soldier roared out in shock, before his bewildered shout was joined by hundreds, and then thousands, of others.

A split second later the creature began walking towards the mountains that separated the 'flanking force' from the allied encampment.

Even more strange was the fact that the 'soldier' was now covered in what appeared to be black tattoos, created from the pool that the redhead had made.

"I withdraw all comments about whatever Natsuko wants to name her techniques forever…" The Inuzuka muttered out, earning nods from the other Ninja who could hear him.

"Oh man… THAT'S SO COOL! IT EVEN HAS WAR PAINT!" Choji loudly exclaimed.

"Oh what the hell. So they can use war paint but I can't?" The Suna sibling shouted in annoyance.

"Well yeah, that thing look's badass, you look like a clown."

"AND YOU SMELL LIKE WET DOG!"

"WHAT WAS THAT ASSHOLE!?"

"YEAH YOU HEARD ME, YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS OUTSIDE MUTT?"

"YEAH LET'S DO IT!"

Temari began wondering if either of the idiots realized that they were already outside.

"So… what's with the markings Natsuko-chan?" Anko inquired from nearby.

"Oh that? That's the 'Grand' part that Akane-chan came up with." The blonde happily replied.

"So it's some sort of Fuinjutsu then… what exactly does it do?" Shikamaru correctly assumed, keeping his shocked gaze on the giant.

"Watch!"

With that the girl raised her hand into the sky… and the creature copied her moment.

"See that's why she's cooler than you. It even copies her!" Tenten exclaimed in excitement.

"Interesting, but I don't see why that is necessary. It already follows her commands" Itachi pointed out.

"True, but that's not what the seals are for…" the redhead replied, a slight smirk forming on her face.

Before anyone could reply a whirling sound emanated from the girl, as she formed a massive _Rasengan_ in her raised hand.

Then all hell broke loose as what sounded like a hurricane roared into existence.

A _Rasengan_ formed for the giant as well. Except for that it scaled with the warrior's size, thus being the size of over a dozen buildings.

The blonde pulled her arm back, before slamming it down to the ground.

 _"Odama Rasen..."_

 _"GAAANNNN!"_

The last part of the attack was roared out by the creature itself, before slamming its oversized destructive attack into the army on the other side of the mountain range.

Seconds later it began to carve a new valley into existence, using nothing but the sphere it had formed.

The Zetsu army was annihilated by a power on the scale that had not been seen in decades.

A minute later the attack halted, while the entire Shinobi army stood in shock at what had just occurred.

Two Kunoichi had just destroyed one fifth of the entire enemy army in minutes.

"And that… was the 'Finale' part." The 'younger' sister proclaimed, before promptly falling forward in exhaustion.

She was easily caught by her sister, who gently picked her up bridal style and began to walk towards the medical tents.

"I assume that will be sufficient for your strategy?"

The Nara nodded, still dumbstruck at what had just occurred.

 _***SooP***_

"Ino… has it always been like this? Have those two always stood so far in front of us? I mean I always thought that back in the academy they were at the very back but… maybe they were so far ahead that they were ready to lap us like in a race around a track."

The blonde nodded dumbly towards her pink haired friend. The girl did raise a good point, when had the two sisters become so powerful, so confident? Were they always this way? She could remember the two, especially Akane, always winning during their Taijutsu spars. Then there was the fact that they always did well in weapon combat... in fact it seemed like the only reason that they had ever been perceived as weak was due to their test scores, something that was painfully useless now, and their social isolation.

But now, watching those two Kunoichi easily decimate _thousands_ of enemy soldiers while she was struggling to defeat one or two at a time…

They were inspirational.

Hinata just watched on in pride, knowing from the very start that one of those two girls would become Hokage someday. The only questions remaining in the Hyuga's mind were: which one would it be and what would her role be when that future came?

 _***SooP***_

"Hokage-Sama, I have a question for you." Mei inquired from nearby.

"Yes Mizukage-Sama?"

"Where is your other teammate? The one named 'Jiraiya'?"

"Oh that old pervert? He is off on a spy mission at my request. We have heard rumors that Orochimaru is somehow in league with our current enemy and so I wanted him to ascertain if this was in fact true or not. If it should be then we will need to deal with that issue before it becomes an even bigger mess."

"Very wise of you, but why didn't you have those two girls strike earlier on? Surely they could have been useful throughout the fight rather than just at that instance."

"That wasn't entirely my choice. Akane was doing some last minute research for me and had just arrived at that time. Besides taking out an entire flanking army seems like quite the useful trick to me."

"No doubt, I assume that you plan on naming one of those two girls as your successor then?" Onoki called out from nearby, having overheard the conversation.

"That is the plan yes, the only hard part is going to be picking one of them. Both have the qualifications and the power to become Hokage."

The Tsuchikage nodded in understanding, though he would love to have two competent Ninja to compete as successor he had seen the results of such issues before. Konoha itself had a notable tradition of such occurrences going terribly wrong, such as Danzo, Madara, and Orochimaru.

Perhaps it was better to simply have one prominent successor and focus entirely on them. Having to choose between those two girls was something that the old man did not envy the blonde for.

 _***SooP***_

Tobi growled in annoyance as he watched the battle from a nearby precipice. The White Zetsu army was supposed to have done significant damage to the allied forces, not be slaughtered in droves.

They were still doing casualties, of course, just not the kind he was promised. At this rate he would need to unleash his 'trump card' earlier than planned.

It wouldn't matter at the end of the day, of course, but it was still quite the irritating situation to watch as his plans were thwarted by children and corrupt leaders that should have died years ago.

"Zetsu" the masked man barked out, immediately summoning the creature. "Prepare the second wave and activate the _Edo Tensei_. It is time to humble these fools with an invincible army. Once there pathetic force is destroyed we will move on Konoha first."

"You are sending them all in at the same time? It would seem like a better plan to stagger them in slowly so that they are not all caught in the same area at once."

"Ah but that would also provide those bastards with time to create some kind of defensive measures. Instead of allowing them to fight small staggered battles we will overwhelm them in one swift attack. They will simply not have the time or forces to deal with that many invulnerable soldiers at once."

"As you command" The plant-like man nodded, before merging back into the ground to fulfill his task.

 _***SooP***_

Meanwhile on the battlefield there seemed to be a lull in combat, which gave the medics time to heal the wounded, soldiers to recover, and even the studying of the enemy fallen to gain a better understanding of their biology.

All in all it was a welcomed break from the constant battle that had been waging for the better part of a day. That is until one of the scouts ran in and shouted the alarm.

Immediately the rested soldiers of the first and second divisions came forward, preparing their defenses behind the reconstructed traps.

Even with all of the planning and training they could not be prepared to witness hundreds of previously fallen warriors from the last century moving forward to engage them.

***Alternate Scene***

Akane Uzumaki had arrived home for less than an hour when there came a knocking on the door to the Senju compound.

Natsuko was not due back for at least an hour or so, having been ordered to report to the Hokage for debriefing.

Otherwise the girl was home alone, and thus immediately on edge.

Taking her mother's katana in her hand she slowly opened the entrance and was immediately taken aback by Itachi Uchiha standing on the other side, looking exhausted and distressed.

"Itachi? What's wrong?"

"You were sent on a false mission, saved Sakura's life, were kidnapped, and almost killed and you ask me 'what's wrong'?"

"I didn't save her life," the girl began, before opening the door and gesturing him to enter the house, "She escaped on her own, I was not kidnapped considering I went willingly to allow her the chance to escape, and finally I was not almost killed."

The man's eye twitched in annoyance at her first two statements, leave it to the redhead to not accept any praise or acknowledgement, but was confused by her last comment.

"The report said that they found you near death after the extraction."

"They must have made that part up. I can assure you I was quite dead when they found me."

The Uchiha blanked, not quite sure how to perceive what the girl had said.

"But…"

"I was revived though, obviously, so no harm done."

This time the Shinobi growled in annoyance, only she would casually ignore the fact that she had died and been brought back to life like it was an everyday occurrence.

"You still saved Sakura, she and my brother and quite adamant about repaying you."

"Then they can buy Natsuko dinner sometime if they are so insistent."

Instantly Itachi moved in front of her, he was tired of her dodgy attitude, of her ignoring things like life or death situations, and making light of anyone trying to help her.

"That's not good enough." The boy replied, before wrapping his arms around her waist and forcibly dragging her into a kiss.

The first kiss they had ever shared.

Akane had gone wide eyed as her body stiffened in response.

A few moments later the boy broke the kiss and moved backwards so that the Kunoichi could recover. His arms stayed around her though.

"I am sorry if that was unwanted, but I feel as though you don't understand how important you are to this village, to everyone around you."

"I…"

"Since you are still not convinced of this… let me show you myself."

He pulled her into a kiss once more, although he noticed that her response was far more pleasant this time, with her returning the gesture and wrapping her arms around his neck as well.

***A/N***

So the war begins with a bang! To be honest I didn't know very much about this part of Naruto so I'm kind of just skimming and making crap up as I go along. Thus this part of the story isn't going to be an exceptionally long arc.

Worry not though, it shall be epic!

I am would like to clarify something now, " **Alternate scenes** " are not to be considered canon to the story, these are more just for your/my enjoyment and seeing 'what could have been'. " **Omakes** " are more like the 'filler' arcs in that they can be considered canon, but I couldn't find a good place to put them into the chapter without causing confusion to both myself and the reader.

As always I hope everyone enjoyed reading my work!


	32. Crimson Tapestry

**Sum of our Parts**

Crimson Tapestry

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

 **"I will murder you!"** Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

Tobi allowed himself to smirk as he watched his trump card move towards the allied forces.

It wouldn't matter how many traps they had set, or how well they had prepared. Nothing could stop an army of immortal soldiers.

The fact that there were probably those among the Shinobi who would recognize their enemy made his victory that much sweeter. To be destroyed by one's own friends and loved ones… truly this was what he had dreamed about for so long.

He had been too dependent on the mindless soldiers, that fact was obvious now. But these were far from mindless. They wielded techniques and weapons of incredible power but still followed orders to the extreme. They would slaughter the opposing forces, allow him to extract the remaining Biju, and then activate his final plan.

"I beg your pardon Tobi-Sama."

The masked man grunted slightly before turning to acknowledge the remaining member of the Akatsuki.

"With all due respect, perhaps it is time to revive Madara-Sama. Surely he should be allowed to watch this event just as much as I?"

The Uchiha pondered this thought. It would be fair after all to do this, and he had an extra _Rinnegan_ lying around so it wasn't as if he couldn't spare the tools for complete revival.

Nodding the man prepared to revive his former master.

 _***SooP***_

"Kage-Samas!" a messenger shouted out as he ran up to the group of Ninja

"Report"

"It seems as though the newest enemy attack is not composed of the White Zetsu like the previous waves. It almost looks as if…" The man hesitated, knowing what he would say next would seem crazy to the leaders before him.

"Get on with it boy!" 'A' growled in annoyance. He hated to be kept waiting, especially when the information could help them in combat.

"It appears as though the enemy force is composed of former Ninja. I recognize some of them as previously fallen Kages"

The various Ninjas around them gaped in shock, all except for Tsunade Senju.

"Thank you for the report, go get some rest."

The man looked around a bit confused before nodding and jogging off.

"What is going on Hokage-Sama? Do you know what is happening?" Mei questioned after seeing the woman's own expression.

"I do, and don't worry it is something we planned for." With that the woman glanced over, and met the gaze of the two Uzumaki sisters, who nodded before making their way towards a secluded area. "Pull our forces back as far as we can, do not engage the enemy unless it is absolutely a necessity. They cannot be killed by any normal means."

The various commanders stared at her for a second, before calling for messengers to relay the orders.

Meanwhile Kakashi stared in the direction that the two Kunoichi had headed off in, curious about what their role would be.

 _***SooP***_

The Uzumaki Kunoichi stood in a small clearing surrounded by several tents, away from prying eyes.

"Looks like a good enough place as any, are you ready Natsuko?"

"Ready onee-chan!" the blonde happily replied, earning a nod from her sister.

The redhead promptly unraveled several large sealing scrolls onto the ground, before activating them. The Fuinjutsu immediately began to glow in a pale blue light as the other girl present began to weave through hand signs.

Just as the scrolls finished a handful of small twisters appeared, sucking whatever had just been released into the sky.

 _***SooP***_

The allied forced gathered into formation, standing across the small clearing from the advancing enemy army.

An army of indestructible revived Ninja, most of which were Jonin level or higher.

"DO NOT FRET, DO NOT COWER, DO NOT RETREAT! IT IS BETTER TO DIE FACING THE ENEMY THAN WITH YOUR BACK TO HIM!" 'A' proclaimed, rallying the army together.

They began to chant their battle cries just as a light rain began to fall.

All was silent, the calm before the storm that is until…

"Sweet Kami teme what the hell did you eat!?"

Sasuke fought the urge to bash his teammates face in, before turning to him, "What are you whining about now kibbles?"

"Seriously can you not freaking smell that, that was disgusting even for you…"

"SASUKE-KUN DOES NOT FART!"

"Everyone farts Sakura it's a fact of nature" Choji chimed in from nearby.

"Not Sasuke-kun, he is far too dreamy to… OH GOD WHAT IS THIS!?"

The others immediately looked over, bringing the girl under more attention then what even she was used to, before noticing that she appeared to have red splotches forming on her outfit.

"It's… blood… IT'S RAINING BLOOD!?" Immediately Kiba began to panic, earning sweat drops from those around him at his overreaction.

"Calm yourself Kiba it's not blood, at least not entirely. It appears to be a mixture of that and… ink?"

"Kakashi-Sensei why would it be raining blood and ink?" The pinkette inquired curiously.

"It's not normal ink," Itachi began as he strode towards his brother and their unit. "It is too thick for that, it appears to be… sealing ink." Immediately, all of the Jonin went wide eyed at his analysis.

"Not exactly Itachi-kun, it is my sister's special recipe."

The Konoha Ninja turned towards the young blonde, who had just joined them, while the other Uzumaki continued walking forward in front of the united army.

"What do you mean Natsuko-chan?" Hinata inquired, she hadn't been told about anything of this nature.

"Back when we visited the island ruins of Uzushiogakure Akane-chan began working on creating her own sealing ink using her blood and Chakra. She figured that it would come in handy once she perfected the technique."

"What technique was that Natsuko?" By this point most of the Konoha Ninja, and quite a large portion of the other allied Ninja, were listening in.

"She calls it ' _Blood Sealing_ '. Due to her unique Chakra density and life force Akane-chan perfected the ability to manipulate the ink at will even at a long distance."

The younger generation looked on in confusion, not quite understanding the significance of what had been done.

The older ones merely gaped in horror.

"Then that means…" Itachi muttered out, shock obvious on his face.

"Yes… Akane-chan has turned the battlefield into her own personal tapestry."

 _***SooP***_

Zabuza was not happy, not in the least bit.

The last thing he remembered was something tearing through his chest on that damned bridge when he was trying to kill that red haired bitch.

Now the two missing Ninja had been brought back to life with the control over their bodies removed.

He swore that once he figured out what the hell was going on someone was getting scalped.

Up ahead he noticed a very large military force, appearing to be composed of Ninja from the major villages. Even as the rain began to fall he knew that they would be triumphant, he would be forced to slaughter former allies and enemies alike alongside of this horrific revived army.

The redhead from before stepped forward, standing alone against their might.

At least he would have his revenge; that had to count for something… right?

As his body was forced to charge forward, and he neared his unwilling, even if acceptable, target a horrific snapping rang out.

The man fell forward, crying out in pain he had never experienced before. It felt like his body had just broken in countless places, as though he had been made of glass.

Nearby he saw Haku doubled over, screaming in pain.

Slowly he noticed the rest of the army joining them, in various states of agony.

What in Kami's name was going on?

 _***SooP***_

"Wh-what the hell is happening to them?" Ino muttered out in horror as the approaching army had fallen to the ground, screaming in agony.

Well almost the entire army, there was quite a few staggered individuals that had just frozen in place.

"She is 'experimenting'." The girl's sister answered, her face looking on dispassionately at the scene before her.

"What the hell does that mean? What did she do to them?" Kiba immediately shouted, though he had no love for the enemy there was no reason to torture them.

"She is using Fuinjutsu. Normally trying new seals on human beings is forbidden since there is no way to necessarily tell what will happen but… the enemy is immortal. No matter what she does to them they cannot die. This is probably the only opportunity she will ever have to try out new seals in such a way." Kakashi muttered out in awe at what the Kunoichi was capable of.

Within a matter of moments she had brought an entire invincible army to its knees, and all without a single Ninjutsu.

"But… why, Why is she doing this to them?" Sasuke muttered out in shock.

Itachi glanced to the side, before a small smirk formed on his face.

"Look who is watching."

The younger Uchiha did as he was told, and realized exactly what the girl had done.

The entire allied army, the other Kages included, was staring in horror at what a single Konoha Kunoichi was capable of.

"She is stopping the next war against Konoha." Kurenai responded, more to herself than anyone else.

"Exactly, no one will ever be able to muster an army to march against us when they know what fate awaits them. Power can be countered, traps can be disarmed, Ninjutsu can be defended against. But this? Even the greatest general would never be able to convince an army to follow him into a fate worse than death." The elder Sharingan wielder replied, watching on with a newfound respect for the girl.

"That is definitely her mother's trait." Asuma noted.

"Mostly, but not entirely." The silver haired Jonin called out, earning quite a few shocked stares which prompted the man to continue his explanation. "You don't really think that Iwa called the Fourth Hokage 'The Butcher' because he was a nice guy do you? Minato Namikaze was just as cut throat in battle as anyone. The difference is that he could hide this side behind a warm smile and an innocent laugh. But you are right Asuma; Kushina-Sama was definitely the better of the two at psychological warfare."

"What do you mean Kakashi-Sensei?" the Inuzuka inquired, now realizing that his fear of the sisters was very justified.

"You don't really think that a sword master _had_ to come back from battle covered in blood do you? Kushina-Sama _chose_ to earn the moniker 'Of the Bloody Smile'. Because once you take on a nickname given to you by your enemies you become something more than just a soldier. You become a symbol. Even today, over a decade since her passing, there are still rumors of her stalking battlefields and preying on those who defy her will. There are whispers even now that she was the Shinigami himself taken mortal form."

"And this war will cement their legacies as well." Kurenai muttered, watching her two students surpass anything she would ever be capable of.

 _***SooP***_

A few minutes had passed before Tsunade called out to the Kunoichi, "Akane, that's enough."

"As you command"

With a slight gesture the seals that had formed on the various enemy soldiers all morphed at the same time, forcing their bodies to crumble into dust.

"Wha-what was that?" Mei inquired, still a bit shocked at what one Ninja from Konoha was capable of.

"I asked her to research the _Edo Tensei_ in preparations for the war. I knew that my former teammate had used it during his failed invasion of Konoha and I figured that if there was even the slightest chance of him being in league with the Akatsuki then it would be something we would need to counter."

Gaara glanced over towards the blonde leader.

"How exactly do you counter an invulnerable army?"

"They are only invulnerable because of the Jutsu; it constantly regenerates their bodies and prevents their souls from moving on. All I had to do was sever the connection which released their souls back to the afterlife." The redhead spoke up as she approached her Kage with a bow.

To the soldiers around them the message was clear. Though she may be able to utterly decimate enemy forces she still did so under orders of the Hokage.

 _***SooP***_

"I found them"

Tsunade stared at her former teammate for a moment, before letting out a deep sigh and a reluctant nod.

She knew this day was coming, after all she was the one who had ordered the mission be undertaken, but still there was reluctance in her mind and soul. The man had once been a third member of their team, a trusted comrade, and a good friend.

Now she struggled with a description for the man-turned-monster.

"You can't go after him alone you are far too valuable to lose."

The Sage nodded, he had been reminded of his mortality enough lately.

"Who do you want on your team? We can't afford to send too many obviously but if we can spare them we will."

"Anko for sure, not only is she immune to most of his poisons but she knows him better than any of us. Plus your student Hinata, if someone is poisoned she would be the best combat medic I could ask for that isn't a Hokage." The man joked, before his face began to show signs of hesitation, as if trying to come up with a different choice rather than the one he was lingering on.

"Who else?"

"You know I don't want to include them in this hime…"

"Jiraiya…." the Senju growled out, she knew _exactly_ who he was talking about.

"Between Akane's work with Fuinjutsu and Natsuko's raw power… I don't know what to expect from Orochimaru. This is the only way we _might_ have a chance of dealing with whatever he can throw at us."

"And if they get hurt?"

"You know I won't let that happen."

The Hokage shook her head, before letting out a deep sigh.

"They will follow you either way I suppose… fine but they had better come back without a scratch you old perv."

The toad summoner nodded before leaping off to assemble his team.

Meanwhile Tsunade was trying to ease the discomfort she was feeling in her gut.

 _***SooP***_

"Interesting… so the two Uzumaki sisters are heading off with a few others to take out Orochimaru, I wonder what would happen if something… unfortunate were to befall them…" the creature known as 'Black Zetsu' muttered to itself, a sickening grin appearing on its face.

"I would imagine that the allied army would be quite devastated… yes quite devastated indeed, perhaps I should…"

"What you _should_ have done was hide away in a cave somewhere until this war was over. Instead you made the worst mistake possible… by going after my granddaughters."

The mutated creature chuckled, not needing to turn around to identify the owner of the voice.

"I was curious about what became of you Kamikaze."

"I went on quite the 'soul finding' journey, and there I found a reason to continue fighting only on a slightly different side."

"You have betrayed us then? Quite cowardly of you I would say."

"Coming from you that's quite the statement. But I figure if I tear you limb from limb and remove another member of the Akatsuki then maybe, just maybe, my granddaughters will forgive me someday."

"You can certainly try."

The blonde man leapt back immediately, dodging the roots that tore through the ground in an effort to impale him.

"So you somehow have Mokuton as well eh? Well I suppose this isn't the first time I have witnessed such a thing so I shouldn't be too terribly surprised."

"Interesting, for you to keep calm in the face of your own death is something to be admired."

The blonde waved off Zetsu's comment as if it was no big deal, "I have faced 'my own death' plenty of times and I am still standing. I have fought a heck of a lot scarier people than some painted freak so I am not terribly concerned."

Once more the man was forced to dodge, as roots tore their way through the ground in an attempt to surround him.

"Well someone is getting a bit angry, guess I should be finishing this up huh?"

With a slight gesture the man sliced through the wood attack, and the man creating it.

As his body fell to the ground Zetsu laughed out in a mocking tone.

"Do you really believe you can kill me so easily?"

The blonde watched on as the creature reattached the two halves of its torso, and stood back up as if nothing had occurred.

"Well that sure makes things complicated huh?"

"Normally yes, but do not be too concerned I have far more pressing matters to attend to than playing with you." With that the creature began sinking into the ground, intending on making its report back to its two 'masters'.

What it had not been expecting was for the earth below it to be ripped up into the air, preventing his escape.

"Oh I don't think so. You see I wasn't idle during my little trip and I figured the remaining members of the Akatsuki would be coming after me eventually. Since that was true I developed a few countermeasures to your more well known abilities."

The pigmented creature glanced about, noticing a sphere of condensed air currents now completely surrounding the area, including below the surface. Scowling the Akatsuki member knew that it would be forced to kill the man and waste precious time before it could report back.

 _***SooP***_

"So gakis I have a question for you two."

"Yes Anko-nee-chan?"

"Have either of you thought about what is going to happen after the war is over?" The purple haired woman inquired as the small team continued towards their destination.

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's pretty darn obvious one of you two will become Hokage. So I was just curious as to…"

"Both of us!" the blonde happily exclaimed as she leapt between branches of the forest.

"Uh Natsuko I hate to be the bearer of bad news but… it doesn't work like that." Jiraiya muttered out.

"Why not?" The girl actually appeared a bit upset by the reply, tugging on the other Ninja's heart strings.

"Well because the Hokage is the supreme military ruler of the village. You need to have one overriding authority so that there is no miscommunication or delay in war."

"Yeah but…"

"Natsuko will be the Hokage." The, thus far silent, redhead replied with certainty.

"But onee-chan…"

"You are the best candidate for the position. Besides I gave up that dream a long time ago, I don't think I could be Hokage anymore with everything that happened. I would be far more suited to ANBU."

"B-b-but then I wouldn't see you every day!" the blonde practically cried out in dismay.

"You could always be the clan representative of the Uzumaki and Namikaze Akane-chan." Hinata chimed in, hoping to cheer the young girl up.

"Do you really think that I would be a good candidate for a politician? I would probably behead someone if I had to sit through those awful meetings."

"Exactly gaki and that is why you are perfect for the position! Think of how much easier life would be for your sister if all the clan heads were terrified of you."

"Well if the clan heads are our graduating class… then they are already terrified of me."

Jiraiya laughed out, happy that one of the 'dilemmas' Tsunade had spoken to him about was resolved so easily.

 _***SooP***_

This wasn't going exactly as the legendary Ninja had planned it. Sure he had finally managed to locate the creepy plant guy, figuring he would be spying on the remaining Jinchuriki at some point, and had even trapped the creature to prevent its escape.

But now the second part of his 'grand master plan' was having some difficulty; that being the actual killing of said plant-like thing.

Every time he cut the creature in half, in any way he could imagine, both of the parts would simply regrow… into two additional enemies. Now the Namikaze was facing off against no less than six opponents.

The only advantage to this situation was that they appeared to be weakening each time they split, not only using Chakra to do so but also splitting their total Chakra.

Essentially they were annoyingly hard to kill _Kage Bunshin_. Of course they were also clones that did not dissipate in a single blow and they could transform their bodies into various weapons using Mokuton… but that was beside the point.

The next 'irritation' came from the fact that he also couldn't quite come up with a way to kill these creatures.

He had tried bashing their heads in, which merely regenerated; tearing their throats out with a kunai, which again regenerated; and even cutting open their torso to find some sort of vital organ, there weren't any.

The Namikaze was beginning to wish he had picked up a couple of powerful fire Jutsu in his travels. Surely the psychotic man burned… right?

His inner musings were interrupted when he was forced to dodge another flanking maneuver. This time they seemed ready for him as a spike fired from the ground behind him, exploding at the last minute and impacting several projectiles into his back.

Hissing in pain the man leapt even further backwards, ensuring that all of his opponents were within eyesight at all times.

Thus far that had been the largest amount of damage he had taken during the battle, but his Chakra reserves were beginning to deplete. At this rate he wouldn't be able to keep the barrier up _and_ find a way to finish these monsters off before running out of time.

Then he was struck with a realization. If they were able to merely regenerate all damage then they would have been able to make it past his barrier. Perhaps they were only able to 'split' when there was enough to reconstitute.

With his plan in mind Arashi shot backwards, reaching the wall of the barrier he had set up.

Realizing that the man was intending to flee the Zetsu leapt forward, trying to close the distance. But it would be all for naught as the wind user created a small opening and escaped before resealing it.

Then the dome began to compress.

Slowly the area in which the Zetsu were confined shrunk down, tearing through the ground and air. In a slight panic one of the clones fortified its arm with Mokuton, creating a large spike to try and punch through. The 'weapon' was torn apart instantly when it made contact.

"That isn't going to work I am actually compressing the barrier instead of merely shrinking it. The walls are twice as deadly as they were to begin with. Soon that dome will smash you all together and then blend you into salad."

"DO YOU THINK THIS WILL KILL ME!? I AM BEYOND YOU FOOLISH HUMANS. MY WILL HAS EXISTED FOR A THOUSAND YEARS AND IT SHALL EXIST FOR A THOUSAND BEYOND YOUR DEATH!" Black Zetsu screamed out, losing its composure for the first time.

"Oh I highly doubt that."

Reaching out the Namikaze closed his fist, rapidly forcing the barrier into a small sphere and tearing apart the abominations that lay within.

'Ironic, it actually resembles the technique that my son created.' The man mused, before making sure that his enemy was complete destroyed.

Then he called upon one of the few fire Jutsu he knew, and ignited the orb. After a few brief, but intense, moments it fizzled out, leaving the only remaining parts of the ancient manipulator as soot and ash.

 _***SooP***_

"Well well well look who we have here? I would have thought that you would be off fighting in the war Jiraiya." Orochimaru's voice rang out in the underground cave that the Ninja found themselves in. As the man stepped into the light his face twisted into annoyance at the sight of the two Uzumaki sisters.

"You… are proving to be very difficult to kill you bitch."

"So I have been told." The Kunoichi replied, a slight smirk hidden beneath her mask.

"After we realized that the remaining allied forces would have no problem exterminating the enemy we decided to take a short break and tie up some loose ends." The white haired man interrupted, focusing attention away from his goddaughters and onto himself.

"Ku ku ku ku, you should not be so confident. Your enemy has a trump card that you will never be able to deal with. An invincible army that…"

"Onee-chan beat them already."

The silence that followed was slightly unnerving, even for the Sanin.

Kabuto glanced over at his master, whose face was a mixture of rage, confusion, and disbelief.

"Indeed… well I suppose this is an interesting situation we now find ourselves in isn't it? You are obviously here to kill me and yet I have never wanted to kill anyone else more than you five. But this also provides me with the perfect opportunity to test out my newest creations."

The man began slowly retreating into the darkness, which immediately pushed the others to charge in order to intercept him.

They were interrupted by another door to their flank opening, and two figures stepping into the light.

"I do so hope you can appreciate the irony of this Jiraiya. I felt it was past time for a 'family reunion'." The snake-like man chuckled.

"Oh God…." The older man gasped out as the two warriors revealed themselves completely.

The man had bright blonde spikey hair, and wore a white overcoat. The woman was dressed in a red and black combat suite, which only accentuated her red hair.

"Minato and Kushina…"

***Omake***

Jiraiya watched on as his granddaughter manipulated the battlefield on a scale that no one could imagine.

He watched as she changed the bone density of Zabuza, forcing his skeleton to shatter under his own body weight. The Sanin observed the seals on the boy named 'Haku' signifying that his blood chemistry had changed, forcing it to rapidly evaporate from inside his body. Even previous Kages were not immune from the girl's abilities, as a former Kazekage began to rapidly decay as his body underwent decomposition at an astounding rate.

Truly this show of force would terrify even the most war hardened commander.

One interesting thing he did note was that some of the returned soldiers were not in pain. Some of them he even recognized.

The former Konoha Ninja were simply frozen in place, along with his former students Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato.

Apparently the girl had developed just as he had prayed she would, lethal when needed but with a kind and forgiving side that could emerge when it was called for.

The only thing that worried the Sanin now was which of the two sisters would be nominated as Hokage after his teammate passed on the hat. Either one would be a good choice but… well he had seen firsthand the effects of one student being passed over for such an honor over another.

He would not sit by and watch one sister grow to envy and hate the other because of politics.

***Alternate Scene***

The two sisters had safely arrived back in Konoha and Hinata was able to breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in days.

As she returned to the Hyuga compound, and the Branch clan section in particular, she noticed the light in her room was still on. This meant one of two things: Hanabi was still up, or she had a late night visitor.

The Kunoichi instincts within her kicked in as she crept into the room, but immediately relaxed when she saw that it had been the former of the two options.

"Hanabi-chan what are you still doing up? It's getting late and you have chores in the morning."

"I wanted to make sure that Akane and Natsuko were okay."

Hinata smiled, the two Uzumaki sisters had indeed welcomed Hanabi as part of their 'extended family' almost as soon as they had met her.

"Thankfully yes they are both okay, I am going to sleep though so don't stay up too much longer."

Quite frankly the older of the two sisters was surprised that she was even still standing at this point, having been up and stressed beyond belief for the last several days.

As she dressed down and practically fell into her bed the younger girl looked on in curiosity.

"What's wrong Hanabi-chan?" Hinata muttered out through her pillow.

"You said they are back safely in Konoha right?"

"Yes"

"So why are you here?"

The Kunoichi sat up, confused as to what her sister was implying.

"What do you…"

"I mean why aren't you with them, or at least Natsuko? I have a feeling that the Uchiha will want to speak with Akane but… well that still leaves you with one blonde to spend the night with right?" the younger girl gave a slight smirk and a wink, before Hinata's eyes shot open in realization.

She was halfway across Konoha before Hanabi's laughter died down.

 _***SooP***_

Natsuko was busy going through some Jutsu scrolls when a soft tapping at her window alerted her.

Only a handful of individuals were able to get leave the normal path leading to the front door, due to the seals her sister had setup. This meant that it was someone she knew.

Curious the blonde opened the glass barrier and noticed her other teammate out of breath on the other side.

"Hinata-chan is everything okay?"

"Y-yes I just…"

The pale eyed girl seemed to hesitate, not sure where to go in the situation at this point.

"You want to come in?" The blonde happily replied.

The Hyuga nodded, before slipping in and noticing that the Uzumaki had another one of her more revealing sleep outfits on.

A small trickle of blood dropped from her nose as she discreetly eyed her comrade.

"You know Hinata-chan if you are going to stare…"

The pale eyed girl began stuttering out an apology before being interrupted.

"I wasn't finished, if you are going to stare you should have just asked; that way you don't have to be so secretive about it."

The blonde happily spun around, stretching a bit as if to give the girl a 'show'.

"So what did you _really_ come here for Hinata-chan?"

The Kunoichi seemed to gather her nerves, and recalled some 'advice' that Anko had given her a while back.

"I want to see more of you Natsuko-chan."

The Mokuton wielder tilted her head in confusion slightly.

"I want to see _all_ of you."

"Oh, well all you had to do was ask." Although it was said in her normal giggly tone Hinata picked up something beneath the surface of her statement. A hint of lust that was normally not present for the young blonde.

The girl promptly began pulling her shirt over her head, revealing her bra, but somehow became tangled up in it.

'She is able to tear apart S-Ranked Ninja like it is nothing… but can't get her own clothes off.' The Hyuga mentally laughed before a thought crossed her mind.

With the young blonde squirming in her clothes the other girl walked forward, and began placing kisses across the top of her chest.

Natsuko immediately gasped out, "H-Hinata-chan wh-what."

"Now whose stuttering Natsuko-chan? You might be catching a cold, let's get you into bed…"

The Hyuga practically carried the girl over, before laying her down.

"Now let me show you _exactly_ what you mean to me…" The pale eyed beauty whispered out, this time her own voice dripping with lust.

It was Natsuko's turn to rapidly nod her head.

***A/N***

 _Ultimate Cliffhanger no Jutsu_!

Holy crap I am excited for this next coming chapter. I have been planning this upcoming battle for like… most of this story.

I hope the Zetsu battle was sufficient for everyone. Quite frankly he didn't seem all that powerful to me, once you took away his body melding technique. I wonder what will happen now that he is no longer a threat though….

This alternate scene would have been my response to Akane ending up with Itachi. I still like the 'Hinata x Uzumaki pairing so I probably would have just shifted it to this instead.

Hope everyone has enjoyed the story thus far!


	33. Return of the Legends

**Sum of our Parts**

Return of the Legends

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"_ _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

"I will murder you!" Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"Wh-what the hell are we going to do now?" Anko muttered out, feeling a terrible fear crawl down her spine as she faced two of the most legendary warriors of the past twenty years.

"Alright here's the plan, Hinata should be able to disable them with her _Juken_ if we can get close enough and then…"

"We will hold them off while you three go after their summoners. There is no guarantee that we can stop them, especially if they are improved in any way from the last ones we faced." The redhead commanded, while her sister nodded in confirmation.

"The hell you are! I am _not_ leaving you two here to fight them by yourselves!"

"We don't have any other options Jiraiya, Anko and Hinata won't be able to defeat those two alone and you know the snake bastard better than anyone. You just need to finish him off or force him to release the summoning before they can kill us."

"Let me stay with you at least, or Hinata she can…"

"No they are right… damnit… Minato and Kushina are at levels above all of us. They only chance we have is to force Orochimaru to break the Jutsu, assuming that you can't figure out a way to seal them Akane-chan." Jiraiya interrupted the snake summoner, hesitation obvious in his eyes.

"Then get going Jiraiya-Sensei… and be careful."

The three nodded before running out a different door, noticing that the two revived Ninja hadn't even made an attempt to intercept them.

 _***SooP***_

"Oh my my my Jiraiya that was quite the bold move leaving your two _precious_ goddaughters to fend for themselves."

"They will be fine Orochimaru, all I have to do is pound your face in for a bit and everything will be right in the world again."

"Ku ku ku ku, always the optimist Jiraiya. I did tell you that they are my finest work yet though didn't I? Aren't you curious about what that means?"

"Not really you sadistic bastard, plus if anyone can handle your two monsters it is those two girls." Anko interrupted with a growl.

"You really should reconsider your stance on that Anko-chan, my newest creations are a step above all the other reincarnated soldiers you may have encountered. They are not just following orders blindly but instead they are zealous in their mission. I have put a mind controlling array onto their seals so that they truly believe what I have told them."

"Orochimaru... what did you do?"

"I wonder Jiraiya, how you would have reacted if your parents looked at you with hatred in their eyes? If they said truly terrible things to you, if they gave their all to killing you in the worst ways possible?"

The three allied Ninja stared on in horror at what the man had just proclaimed.

"Kabuto, please deal with our young guest. Rumor is that she was trained by Tsunade which means you are more than adequate to deal with her. I will be taking care of my failed apprentice and teammate."

"As you wish Lord Orochimaru."

With that the white haired boy and Hyuga left for a separate room to avoid any conflict with their allies.

"Now then, let's see if you can finally live up to all the hype Jiraiya, or if you will fail like so many time before."

The white haired Sanin glared in rage at the pale man before giving a nod to Anko.

 _***SooP***_

The two siblings stared into the faces of their parents.

Their parents stared back with malice filled eyes.

"Let's get this over with, no sense in wasting time with failures." In an instance the blonde former Kage had thrown out dozens of tri-pronged kunai across the room.

An instance later, roots tore through the surfaces, dragging the special weapons back into the walls and ground with them.

Minato frowned in annoyance as the older female sprinted forward with incredible speed. She had hoped to take care of the troublesome blonde before her Mokuton could cause any further problems. The redhead intercepted her before she could reach though.

Ducking under a surprisingly swift slash Kushina struck out towards the opposing girl, who just barely dodged.

Any further pursuit was interrupted by a series of _Air Bullets_ from the remaining child.

The Yondaime threw another kunai towards the blonde, this time aiming for a direct attack rather than just opening up his maneuverability.

The weapon met an earthen barrier which raised up, before sinking back down and taking the weapon with it.

The girl was good, at least at removing any of his instruments before they could be properly utilized.

That only left him with his natural overwhelming speed, vast knowledge of Jutsu, Kage level experience, and sheer lethality in all forms of Ninja combat. The Namikaze smirked slightly before sprinting forward while flowing through hand signs.

 _***SooP***_

So far Akane had been able to keep her mother on the defensive using her own blade, the woman only resorting to kunai at this point. How much longer that would be the case was one of the questions edging the younger Kunoichi's mind; that and how to end the fight so that she could aid Natsuko.

Finally the 'Bloody Smile' found her opening and closed the distance gap. Akane had seen the attack coming, and just managed to parry the smaller blade before pushing back with a rush of adrenaline and stabbing forward with the Uzumaki's blade.

She hadn't counted on her mother actually _catching_ the sword.

"Do you really think you can hurt me with my own blade you whore?" The woman smirked, before ripping the sword from her daughter's hands and delivering a vicious kick to the poor girl's stomach.

"I heard all about your escapades in the village, offering yourself to anyone willing. I wonder if you got down on all fours for the Kyuubi as well."

Akane ignored the insult, and the sudden urge to tear her parent's throat out, before taking stock of the situation.

Natsuko was holding her own, albeit barely, against their father and now their mother had her prized weapon back.

With a slight gesture the teenager activated a seal on her arm, before bringing out another katana, this one was solid black with red trim along the edges.

She barely had time to raise the blade before her opponent's clashed with her own. Apparently their parents shared their belief in ending a battle as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"Strange, that should have split your sword in two."

" _Seal Forged_ weapons are indestructible."

"I am aware of that bitch that is why yours should have… unless you have one of your own, but how? Uzushiogakure was already destroyed in my life time and the processes lost."

It was the daughter's turn to smirk this time.

"I figured it out on my own."

 _***SooP***_

"What is the end goal here Orochimaru? What do you think all of this will accomplish in the end?'

The two Sanin continued exchanging blows in a ferocious Taijutsu match, while Anko dealt with the man's snake summonings.

"Ku ku ku ku, you always were shortsighted Jiraiya. Can you truly not see what the end result of this war will be? A thoroughly weakened 'united' Shinobi Alliance; the Akatsuki nearly, if not completely, destroyed; and Oto stronger than ever. We will decimate whatever remains of the victor and claim this world for our own. Imagine it, an entire battlefield of dead soldiers just waiting to be claimed by me for research!"

"That isn't going to happen, not while we are around you bastard."

The snake Sanin chuckled, ducking under a blow with inhuman agility and landing a powerful strike on his opponent's chest, throwing him backwards.

Before the traitor could follow up, his hands already starting the hand signs for a powerful fire Jutsu, a fireball flew in from his flank, forcing him to abandon his plan before it could bear fruit.

Giving a scowl the man noticed that his former apprentice had finished up earlier than anticipated, thus freeing her to interrupt the battle with his old teammate.

"It was foolish of you to come here Anko-chan, now I will show you the error of your ways." The man made a single hand sign, thus activating her cursed seal.

What he hadn't counted on was the girl smirking in response.

"Oh did I forget to mention? I got rid of that old tattoo you gave me, really clashed with my eyes you know?"

Anko made note to give the redheaded Uzumaki a big hug once this entire situation was over.

 _***SooP***_

The former Kage weaved among the wooden projectiles as he advanced on his target. He idly wondered who would finish their battle first, him or his wife? Sure he was more talented in the overall arts but she was absolutely terrifying when it came to melee combat.

In a battle between blades he wasn't sure if he _could_ defeat her.

This only further hastened him. He would never hear the end of it if she managed to kill her opponent before he was able to.

When he came with ten feet of the other blonde the girl raised a series of large earthen spikes, presumably to slow him down, before leaping backwards to put distance between them once more; a pointless gesture against one of his speed.

He was in front of the girl in a moment, a _Rasengan_ already formed in his hand as he prepared to crush the girl into paste.

Just as the man's attack reached her she poofed into smoke, a _Kage Bunshin_ no doubt. Glancing to his flank he saw the spinning shuriken-like attack coming ever nearer.

Irritation once more fluttered across his face.

Minato pushed against the ground, shooting backwards at incredible speeds and easily avoiding the lethal Jutsu.

"So you have Mokuton and 'perfected' my _Rasengan_. I wonder if there is anything you can do that you _haven't_ copied from another Ninja. Do you have any original techniques in that useless brain of yours? Or would you rather just call yourself an Uchiha and be done with it? Of course your sister probably slept with most of the clan already so I wouldn't be surprised if she already gave birth to a few bastard children."

The girl growled in response, before her eyes became slitted and feral.

"Ah the Kyuubi how original, already you are depending on someone else's strength because you have none of your own."

The girls charged forward nonetheless, at speeds that Minato noted were fairly impressive for a younger Ninja.

After dodging a few enraged swipes the girl stumbled and fell to her knees, confused and slightly winded.

Glancing up she noticed the golden chains that had torn their way up through the walls, and now lined the room.

"Surprised? I was the previous host for the Kyuubi after all. Looks like neither of you two failures were able to harness the Uzumaki bloodline though. These chains completely suppress all Biju Chakra in the area that they contain." Kushina called out, after delivering a few rapid blows to Akane's torso and launching the girl across the room.

The blonde's smile once again stretched across his face, "Now then where were we?"

 _***SooP***_

"So you are Tsunade's apprentice?"

"And you are Orochimaru's play thing."

The white haired boy growled at the insult before replacing it with his normal creepy smile, "Oh my, seems as if you have taken on the normal tactics of a woman. You insult to try and break your opponent's guard since you cannot win on your own."

"It's not that, I was simply pointing out the obvious just like you were. I have no doubt in my own skills. I wonder if that nasty burn woke you up to your own flaws though?" Hinata pointed to the man's horribly burned face. She knew from the reports that it had in fact been inflicted by Itachi Uchiha during the attempted retrieval of Sasuke.

"Lord Orochimaru has greatly increased my power since then, now let us see once and for all who the better apprentice is."

The boy's hands began to glow as he activated his patented _Chakra Scalpels_ while Hinata glared in response. Sure she knew that medical Jutsu could be used in combat but it was supposed to be a last resort.

 _***SooP***_

The 'genius' Sanin mentally swore as he dodged another _Rasengan_ wielded by his former teammate, only to be blown back from the explosion of a fire Jutsu cast by the other snake summoner.

This battle was beginning to become tedious for him. Sure Jiraiya was a powerful warrior but he should have been able to defeat the man in a one on one fight fairly quickly.

No the problem was that any openings he could find in the man's strategy were covered by the Kunoichi.

Any attempts against her showed, rather painfully, how bad of an idea it was to turn one's back against a sage.

This wouldn't have been a problem if Kabuto would just hurry up and finish his own battle, the boy should have won over the Hyuga brat long ago and come back to take care of his former student.

Instead the leader of Otogakure was being made a fool out of by two failures.

The man still had a few tricks up his sleeve though, and a few hand signs were followed by a Jutsu which allowed him to spew forth a massive cloud of poisonous gas.

Sure the woman would survive, she was virtually immune to all poisons by now, but the other Sanin was not.

Jiraiya merely took a deep breath, before flowing through a few hand signs of his own. Moments later he was engulfed by the deep purple cloud.

As the fog dissipated Orochimaru looked on in shock as the man emerged, covered in what appeared to be a coating of water. A moment later the protective armor fell apart, revealing the man to be completely fine.

"That was a neat trick that Hinata Hyuga taught me. One of your own soldiers was defeated by it years ago during the Chunin exams."

Before the man could reply a large column of oil fell from the ceiling, created by a _Kage Bunshin_ that had been formed when the man was hidden in the miasma.

Moments later the Sanin was ignited by his former apprentice, burning his skin and eliciting a scream of pain from the man.

After the flames subsided the man stood, heavily injured but alive, before he began a slow chuckle. This quickly turned into a roaring laughter as Orochimaru began to shed his skin, his body stretching and molting in a terrifying fashion.

 _***SooP***_

With the Kyuubi being suppressed, and therefore it's healing ability nullified, Natsuko was beginning to show signs of fatigue and injuries at an alarming rate.

Along with that Akane was sustaining more serious wounds as well.

The redheaded sister had little doubt that if they weren't already fully aware of what their parents were capable of that they would be dead by this point. Still they were losing quite badly.

Something had to be changed or else…

She saw it, just for a split second a flaw in the Kenjutsu master's defenses.

The experienced Kunoichi would overextend herself by a fraction of a second when she would thrust forward. But in the Ninja world that was enough to be taken advantage of.

The younger girl waited patiently, ignoring the two additional cuts that landed on her arm from prolonged battle before her mother once more thrust her blade forward. Akane dodged out of the path, before striking back with as much speed and ferocity as she could muster.

It was a mistake.

A flash of yellow was the only indication that something was wrong before a tri-pronged kunai embedded itself into her side.

'How?'

Then she saw it, and swore at her own stupidity. A _Hiraishin_ seal was on the woman's flesh just as she had placed on Natsuko.

Why hadn't she taken that into consideration as an option?

Before any further damage could be dealt, a mass of wood ripped from the ground, separating her from the two reincarnated Ninja.

Natsuko was by her side a moment later.

"Akane-chan! Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I didn't see where he went until…"

"It's okay Natsuko I was stupid enough not to take their plan into consideration. The Uzumaki must have been giving herself that flaw on purpose to lure me in… stupid of me."

"You're not stupid! You are…"

"A mistake"

The blonde gasped as the two older Ninja walked out from around the obstacle.

"You both are you realize that right? We never meant to have children it just sort of… happened. Even then we were all hoping for a boy. We were going to name him 'Naruto' after one of Jiraiya's characters. He was so disappointed when we learned of your gender. That is probably why you were abandoned like Orochimaru said." The blonde finished his statement as he twirled a kunai lazily with his finger.

"He didn't abandon us! He protected us even when…"

"When you became useful Ninja, you two are just a tool to him you know. A means to an end, he just needs to get you on his side so that when it is finally time for you to continue our legacy you won't resist. Him, Tsunade, Hiruzen, Mikoto, Kakashi… they are all in on it after all." Their mother cruelly continued on, chuckling at the tears threatening the blonde's eyes.

"Th-that's not true!"

Any further protest was interrupted by the cruel laughter of their father, "Of course it is you little bitch. The only thing you two will be good for is continuing our bloodline. After that you can be discarded and go back to living in the streets like the trash you are."

Natsuko faltered, was what they said true? It certainly would explain everyone's attitudes towards them until they had actually become Ninja. If their guardians really were concerned about them then they would have helped when they were growing up, not after they had finally gotten to the point of self-defense.

The blonde glanced over to her sister, who was busy glaring fiercely at the two elders.

It was then that a fierce resolve found itself within the normally happy girl. It didn't matter if it was true or not. It didn't matter whether everyone was simply manipulating them or not. All that mattered was protecting those that did care.

And she knew that Akane would die for her without a moment's notice.

That thought alone was worth fighting for.

" _Life Release: Earthen Soldiers"_

Both of the Kage-level Ninja were forced to leap backwards from the blade that sprung from the ground, and the soldiers that came with them.

"Tear them apart"

The warriors charged forward, ignoring the kunai, _Wind Bullets_ that tore into them.

It was nearly impossible to kill something that had no internal organs, that drew no breath, and that had no heart.

 _***SooP***_

Kabuto grimaced in pain as another wave of wave impacted his leg, causing severe bruising and hindering his mobility.

His lord had guaranteed him an easy victory against the girl, but then again he had also promised to help him in his own body alteration research... and that had never occurred either.

The remains of the 'Sound Four' hadn't been recovered as Orochimaru had promised they would be. Add to that the fact that the Sanin had been far more preoccupied with his own testing and development, along with the reincarnated army, and the medical Ninja was beginning to think that his master _wanted_ him to fail.

But that couldn't be right, he was still useful, still able to help his master with various techniques and aided in the acquisition of his new body, along with performing the ritual necessary to summon the returned soldiers.

Still...

The boy Shinobi was brought out of his musings as he was forced to dodge a wide arcing band of electricity.

He had not been completely able to do so, however, and the shock made itself known as he began losing feeling in his extremities.

Cursing he pushed himself back a good distance, while summoning a mass of snakes, trying to buy time to heal his wounds.

"What's the matter Kabuto? I expected more than a few snake summonings from the apprentice of a legendary Sanin." Hinata mused as she sent a wave of water to flush the creatures from the vicinity.

"Lord Orochimaru has gifted me knowledge beyond compare. Soon I shall become a perfect being like him and then..."

"Perfect being? How exactly do you figure that is going to happen? After Anko-Sensei and Jiraiya-Sama smash him into the ground he isn't going to look very perfect after all."

"You are a fool to believe such things. Lord Orochimaru is immortal and soon all shall understand his true..."

"Immortal? If he truly was immortal then he wouldn't need an army to help him win wars. He wouldn't need an apprentice to keep him alive with medical Jutsu, and he sure as hell wouldn't be living in a dingy cave. Face the facts Kabuto, he is just a terrified human being like anyone else. He is so afraid of death that he hides away to avoid any potential conflicts. It's the same reason that he didn't trust himself to take on the Third Hokage alone."

"YOU ARE WRONG! LORD OROCHIMARU IS FLAWLESS! ONCE I AM DONE WITH YOU I WILL TURN YOU INTO A TEST SUBJECT!" The boy roared out as he charged forward, ignoring the injuries he had sustained thus far. His hands began forming seals, throwing forth a wave of earthen spikes towards the girl.

Hinata responded instantly, spinning around with the same technique that Neji had taught her but adding in her own elemental ability to the technique. Kabuto was met with a sphere of electrified Chakra which tore into him and threw him backwards, along with reversing the projectiles that he had previously launched.

Hitting the opposite wall the gray haired boy slowly dropped to the ground, his body torn apart and impaled with half a dozen spikes.

"Seems as though we have our answer." The traitor chuckled, blood already pouring from his mouth as his eyes dimmed.

 _***SooP***_

It had taken far less time than Natsuko had hoped for their parents to discover a counter to her self-created style of Jutsu.

She had been told that their mother was skilled in Fuinjutsu, much like her sister was, but to face someone who could adapt to such things with almost instantaneous skill… it was frightening to say the least.

Once more the young blonde reaffirmed her notion that if she ever was forced to face her sister in combat that it would be the redhead who would emerge victorious.

Watching as the false soldiers crumbled into dust, after the application of a small piece of sealing paper, the two sisters began planning for their next strategy to at least slow down the two older Ninja.

 _***SooP***_

The young blonde immediately noticed the danger before it occurred. The former Hokage had remained stationary for far too long, with their mother covering him from both girls.

Sure enough when the man opened his eyes next his pupils were horizontal bars, with pigmentation around the edges of his eyes.

The Yondaime leapt forward, an enhanced _Odama Rasengan_ formed in his hand upon instinct.

The redhead instantly teleported next to her sister, and linked fingers with her.

Natsuko instantly knew her plan and began forming a _Rasengan_ in her hand.

Just as they had practiced the other Uzumaki added in a small amount of her own, unstable, Chakra.

The two charged forward to meet their father's signature technique.

" _Uzumaki Rasengan!"_

A normal _Rasengan_ would grind through objects.

The two sisters had discovered that by combining their Chakra very delicately they could create an entirely different kind of sphere. Instead of grinding it would burn its way through, superheating the target to the point where it instantly melted through.

It was like the power of the Sun in created in their hands.

The two attacks clashed, the past clashed against the present, against the future.

The combination attack finally won out, burning its way through the older man's attack and forcing him to dodge out of the way at the last possible moment.

 _***SooP***_

The redheaded Kunoichi leapt backwards once more, dodging another root that tore its way from the ground.

Thus far she had been put on the defensive against the witch.

Kushina Uzumaki did not enjoy being on the defensive against anyone.

Reaching forward she sent forth her _Chakra Chains_ , a technique that was one of the stables of being an Uzumaki, something that neither of the two younger girls could claim to have inherited.

The two attacks met, each one tearing into each other in a destructively alarming pace.

Roots were ripped to pieces, chains were shattered.

The floor and walls shook with the force, and the other two combatants were forced to duck out of the area to avoid any sort of collateral damage.

Unfortunately Natsuko had been using far more Chakra throughout the fight, thus she began to tire and was forced to break her effort to try and launch a different attack. That was when Kushina made her move.

A chain ripped from the floor and wrapped around the girl's leg, placing Fuinjutsu seals anywhere it touched.

The teenager was only able to escape further escalation due to activating her _Sage Mode_.

"Yet another one of your 'achievements' falls apart. Any seals that might have been placed on your body have now been overridden and neutralized. Your sister truly is a failure compared to a true Uzumaki Seal Master." The woman taunted, earning a growl from the young girl.

"I am really not surprised though, after all neither of you were able to awaken the Uzumaki bloodline. Though you might be worth something for your Mokuton, your sister on the other hand seems completely useless."

At this point Natsuko made herself a silent promise, that even if they did fail she would at least kill this woman.

The Kyuubi growled in agreement.

 _***SooP***_

Minato Namikaze and Akane Uzumaki began a lethal dance of high speed kunai driven combat.

Both stood no more than a few feet apart, both wielding a small blade in one hand while slashing and stabbing at each other at incredible rates. Neither gave an inch. Their empty hands were used to parry the others attempts at offensive, giving up any idea of simply inflicting bruises.

Finally the girl had had enough, and locked their weapon arms together before grabbing his free arm with her hand. Ink began making its way down her arm, and onto his at a rapid pace, quickly forming various seals along the way.

She would completely bind his body and then do the same to her mother, thus ending the _Edo Tensei_ threat once and for all.

What she hadn't counted on was the laughter, before the devastating head butt knocked her backwards.

"Did you really think that would work? It is a somewhat neat trick to be able to move the ink with your will but Kushina-chan placed counter seals on both of us before you arrived. We are both immune to Fuinjutsu at this point."

Akane swore again. This was the second underestimation she had done during this battle. Undoubtedly she would not survive a third.

 _***SooP***_

Kushina continued dodging out of the attack path of the various roots that tore through the floor. Begrudgingly she had to admit that the change in tactic had been a wise one from the two sisters, Akane had little chance of defeating her in a straight melee duel and the blonde was simply not fast enough to keep up with her father.

Now though they had a decent chance of surviving for more than a half hour.

The redhead dodged another wide scale Mokuton attack before charging towards her target.

A handful of kunai were instantly thrown from the experienced woman but impacted harmlessly on a raised earthen wall.

Just as she had anticipated, really what were they teaching Ninja these days; their moves were so predictable.

Leaping over the obstacle Kushina caught sight of the faint wisp of smoke, obviously a _Kage Bunshin,_ as the girl looked set to take her on in close combat. She couldn't see any other traces of her target, which meant she was probably under the floor and thought that she could spring some sort of trap.

Foolish

This time the projectiles thrown were wrapped in special sealing paper, sending powerful volts of electricity through the ground and forcing the blonde to emerge shaking in pain.

The older Kunoichi landed next to her daughter, before violently kicking her across the room.

"We had such hopes for you. Mokuton, perfecting the _Rasengan_ , that _Life Release_ technique you have shown... but really you are a pathetic excuse of a Kunoichi. All you have ever done is depend on your worthless sister to save you time and time again. Hell you even depend on the Kyuubi to assist you in battle. Have you ever fought for yourself? Have you ever had to stand alone against an enemy and truly discover what you are capable of? Of course not, because if so you would not be standing here right now. You are a joke and now everyone will see it. Everyone expected you to live up to our legend and you failed... miserably. I can't believe that we gave up our lives to try and protect you two, what a waste." The woman taunted, further breaking down the younger girls spirits.

"And now... well it's time we say goodbye. See you in hell bitch." The 'Bloody Smile' raised her katana, preparing for the killing blow.

 _***SooP***_

She saw the blade being raised from the corner of her eye. Saw her sister lying on the floor in defeat. There was no way for her to intercept the attack in time without using her trump card. A technique perfected over the years to a terrifying degree.

Luckily she had already had time to prepare it.

As Minato's _Rasengan_ streaked towards her, the young redhead vanished.

The man's eyes widened, how had she used the _Hiraishin_? The seal on her sister had been disrupted and she hadn't made any others, he or his wife would have noticed.

He saw her appear in front of his love instantly, her blade already in motion as her eyes took on the _Sage_ quality.

" _Hiraishin: Third Step"_

The woman had no time to avoid the attack.

Luckily the Namikaze did, and was able to teleport to her and then away just in time to dodge the blade.

In his rage at seeing the love of his life so close to being harmed he retaliated with a flurry of kunai that the girl would not be able to dodge in time.

They would have ended her life, had her sister not leapt into the path, blocking the deadly barrage with her body.

Natsuko coughed up blood, before falling into her sister's arms.

"I am going to kill you both." The redhead growled out.

The girl's sister gently brought her down, before flashing forward, attempting to split the man who had harmed the happy young girl in half.

Instead a blade pierced her from behind, before her mother kicked her across the room to where her sister laid.

The two Uzumaki had lost.

 _***SooP***_

The two experienced Konoha Ninja looked on in horror at the monstrous form that the traitor had taken.

"Orochimaru… what the hell have you done to yourself?"

"Isn't it obvious Jiraiya?" the raspy corrupt voice seemed to slither into the air around them, making the Ninjas' skin crawl in response, "I have achieved perfection. The body you saw before was merely a vessel for this state. Now you bear witness to my true power!"

"I thought you were a creepy ugly asshole before but now…" Anko muttered out in shock.

"ENOUGH! Now I shall feed!"

The sickening creatures rushed forward, its mouth open wide as it tried to devour its opponents.

Luckily the two leapt out of the way before it could. What they had not been expecting was how maneuverable the creature seemed to be. It stopped near instantly, before changing directions and striking out towards its former teammate.

Jiraiya went through a few hand signs, and launched a large fireball towards the creature.

Instead of dealing any damage Orochimaru merely ate the attack.

"Ku ku ku ku, don't you see my perfection Jiraiya? My entire body is able to absorb Chakra, meaning that none of your Jutsu will have any effect on me. Not only that but my skin is stronger than steel. You have no hope for victory!"

Rushing forward it once more tried to kill the other Sanin, only for the man to raise a rock wall at the last minute, forcing the creature to slam through it and stunning him momentarily.

"Any ideas pervert? He's undoubtedly immune to all poisons at this point and if he's right about the skin thing then kunai won't do anything. The only thing we might have is some explosive tags."

The white haired man nodded before the two raced towards their target, both taking handfuls of the small explosives

Just as the abomination recovered it felt the tiny impacts as its potential victims began applying the notes.

"Fools!"

Opening its mouth even wider Orochimaru spewed a massive geyser of poisonous snakes which surged towards the two warriors.

"Well that is just gross…" Jiraiya muttered before leaping out of the path and letting loose a wave of fire to incinerate the reptiles.

Just then the other snake summoner finished with her task and leapt backwards, activating the explosives as she did so.

Orochimaru cried out in pain as he was consumed by the detonations, leaving a thick cloud of smoke and his fate unknown. At least until it cleared, showing that while he had been grievously injured his wounds were already in the process of healing.

"Now do you see the futility in your actions? Even if you can injure me I will simply regenerate. I am flawless, and once this war is over I shall devour all those that survive and become a living God!"

Considering you can't even manage to defeat us I highly doubt it Orochimaru."

The monster lashed forward, with shocking speed, and finally managed to bite down onto his former comrade's arm. The white haired man yelled out in pain, while the monstrosity merely smirked.

Just then a crazy idea ran through the sage's mind, and with his one free arm he activated a handful of seals located on his chest.

Moments later the traitor broke his hold, and fell backwards crying out in pain. Confusion filled the purple haired woman's mind, before she saw exactly what was happening. The creature's skin was turning to stone.

"A neat little trick that my granddaughters taught me you sick bastard. Natsuko's idea but Akane's design a storage seal that simply contains natural energy. I have several of them placed on my body just in case and since you absorb Chakra…"

The atrocity once more cried out in pain before its petrification finished, leaving it no more than a large statue.

Anko shattered it a moment later with her last remaining explosive tag, just to be safe.

 _***SooP***_

The Yondaime blinked in confusion as his senses became clear. It felt as if he had been walking through a dense fog for so long that he had forgotten it was even there.

Looking to his right he noticed that his wife seemed to be in a similar state, as if awakening from a dream, before she gasped in shock and horror.

He returned his gaze forward, and felt his heart break.

Both of his daughters were severely injured, one with no less than a dozen of his own kunai sticking out of her torso.

The other was glaring at them with a hatred that froze his blood.

What had they done?

 _***SooP***_

"A-Akane..." Kushina weakly attempted to call out to her daughter, before a dozen kunai embedded themselves in various points of her body, including her throat. The woman gasped out, trying to draw breath despite the blood that poured from her wounds.

The rage that fueled the young redhead saturated the air in a way that forced even the Kage to pale.

She was on him in an instant, slamming his head back into the ground before she began smashing her fists into his face, turning his skull to mush beneath her over the course of a few moments.

Panting in rage and exertion the young girl stood up, striding over to her mother, whose face was frozen in pain, not only her own but for what she had obviously done to her daughter.

Picking up the woman's sword she brought it down before the woman could attempt any further speaking, beheading her instantly.

She followed up by impaling the corpse with its symbolic blade, slamming it down to the hilt and pinning the remains to the ground.

"I told you that I would kill you."

The young Kunoichi gave one last glance back as she gently placed her sister's arm over her should to try and support her weight.

Both older Ninja were already showing signs of regeneration, and neither girl wanted to be around when it completed.

"H-hey Akane-chan... did we win?"

The redhead gave the blonde a warm smile, before nodding at her.

"Yes Natsuko, we won."

***A/N***

Hopefully this battle was sufficient for everyone. I wanted it to be the most important one of this story and I rather enjoy how epic it was.

Yes Orochimaru and Kabuto's battles were a bit... short. But Kabuto was really only a major threat once he had all those body modifications, which I don't really see Orochimaru helping with if he had been alive.

As for the snake himself... well I wanted the chapter to focus on the parents vs children so it was shorted a bit... sorry.

Next chapter is going to be a lot of angsty goodness, in fact I don't know if there will be any actual combat.

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!


	34. Judgement

**Sum of our Parts**

Judgement

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

 _"set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

"I will murder you!" Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"C-can we rest f-for a second A-Akane-chan?"

The redhead nodded, before gently sliding down to a seated position with her sister.

"Is the Kyuubi still being suppressed?"

The blonde shook her head, "No but Kyuu-chan says that she can't heal me properly while the kunai are still in... I need you to take them out."

Akane looked a bit indecisive for a moment, knowing full well how much it would hurt the young girl to do so.

"I-it's okay, I know you don't want to hurt me but this will help."

The girl reluctantly agreed, before putting one holding her sister's hand with one of her own and gripping a kunai with the other.

She quickly pulled, ripping the weapon out as quickly as possible and earning a cry of pain from the normally cheerful blonde. Just as she had anticipated the girl squeezed down, cracking her bones but helping to alleviate the pain even just a bit.

"O-one down only about seven left." The Jinchuriki chuckled humorlessly as tears welled up in her eyes.

The other Uzumaki swallowed painfully, trying to resist the urge to cry herself at the pain she was being forced to cause the most important person in her life, before grabbing another one of the embedded weapons and pulling.

 _***SooP***_

Hinata ran into the Sanin and the older Kunoichi just as they were finishing up their battle. Her analytical gaze, combined with the _Byakugan_ immediately showed her that they hadn't sustained any life threatening injuries, but she moved to check for any poisoning regardless.

"You both seem to be okay, no poisoning on either of you and no internal injuries of any significance."

"Yeah yeah we are both fine great, now go check on my granddaughters."

The Hyuga nodded, before racing off to locate her two teammates.

 _***SooP***_

She found them minutes later, both seated on the ground with blood pooling below them.

"NATSUKO-CHAN AKANE-CHAN!" the pale eyed girl sprinted towards them, as images of her last 'failure' played before her eyes.

"Check on Natsuko first, the Kyuubi's power was neutralized and she might need a jump start for the healing."

Hinata hesitated, both were badly injured and she knew that the redhead would put her own injuries on hold for her sister every time, despite how bad hers might be.

Biting her lip, the Hyuga nodded before quickly running some diagnostics on the blonde, while Akane sat back against the wall to catch her breath.

"She has lost a lot of blood so I will be giving her some of the rejuvenation liquid to help. Otherwise the Kyuubi seems to be rapidly healing all of the actual wounds. She is not in any danger."

The other girl nodded, before closing her eyes in exhaustion. A moment later she felt the gentle Chakra that was associated with her teammate's medical techniques.

"Are Jiraiya and Anko okay?"

"Yes they are both fine. I ran into them before finding both of you. It appears as though both Orochimaru and Kabuto are now dead."

"Good riddance... assholes..." Natsuko muttered.

Hinata giggled before concentrating on healing the various wounds that her teammate had received.

Minutes passed by in comfortable silence before the healer asked a question that had been on her mind for longer than she could remember.

"How?"

Akane opened one eye to look curiously at the girl while her sister also glanced towards their teammate.

"How what Hinata-chan?"

"How are you both so strong? I trained for years with a Sanin, two Jonin, and a Hyuga clan prodigy and yet still... I took down a measly traitor while you two stood against two legendary, immortal, Kage level Ninja and won... how do you do it? How are you both so awe-inspiring?"

"Do you not see your own achievements? Besides Tsunade there is no one who can equal your skill in medical Jutsu and you formed your own Taijutsu style with little to no help. You incorporated Ninjutsu into said style which even your entire clan, with centuries of experience, could not do. Yet despite all of this you still maintained a balanced life. Don't sell yourself short Hinata... you are amazing in your own ways."

"I suppose I have come a long way since I was the stuttering shy little girl huh?"

"Not only that Hinata-chan but you found the courage to express your feelings for us, rather than just spying from a distance." The blonde happily mentioned, turning the poor girl bright red in embarrassment and surprise.

"I-I-I... you knew!?"

"Of course, enhanced senses remember? You were the only academy student who ever smelled like cinnamon rolls."

The poor girl fought back the urge to pass out

 _***SooP***_

In the meantime, Jiraiya and Anko slowly made their way to the room, which looked more like a warn torn battlefield, that they had left the two sisters in.

The first thing that he noticed was the two warriors, having just fully regenerated, looking around frantically.

"Stay here Anko, if they are still being controlled you need to get the others to safety."

"What will you do? It's not as if you can stop them by yourself."

"No, but I can probably collapse the building and trap them here."

The snake summoner stared wide eyed at the man, who had just admitted that his only plan would involve killing himself.

"You better come back to those two girls… or so help me I will drag your perverted lazy ass back to Hokage-Sama and tell her what you did."

The white haired man flinched at the threat, but nodded.

Striding forward the man took a deep breath, making sure that he had a few Jutsu ready just in case, and called out to his former student.

"Looking for something Minato-kun?"

The blonde whirled around, a frenzied and terrified look in his eyes, before spotting the man.

"Jiraiya-Sensei! Thank Kami, we are trying to find Akane-chan and Natsuko-chan."

The man nodded, "Understandable, they are in high demand right now. Why do you want them?"

Normally someone would play the Sanin's question off as friendly conversation, but the Yondaime knew his teacher far better than that.

The older man was interrogating him.

"W-we… we hurt them… we need to find and make sure they are okay."

"They will be fine their teammate is a medic."

"Jiraiya, we need to apologize for…" the Kunoichi started before being interrupted.

"No, you need to stay away from them right now." The white haired man snapped back, a bit of anger in his tone.

"J-Jiraiya what do you…" Kushina began, but this time it was her husband that stopped her from going any further.

"No… he's right. Who knows whether we are completely free from Orochimaru's control or not. With everyone's state we are too dangerous to be around them if we should revert back."

"I'm sorry you two… I know how much you want to see them but right now that's just too dangerous. I love you both, but I love them more."

The two experienced Ninja nodded in acceptance, before Jiraiya gave a nod to Anko.

"Anko, go let the other three know to depart back to the camp. We will keep about an hour or two behind so that we can help if necessary but that way we won't be too close."

The woman agreed, before leaping off to where her snake summon had located the girls.

 _***SooP***_

The trip back had been… painfully quiet for both parties. Jiraiya had insisted on avoiding any conversation about the two girls until they could reach the main camp. He explained that it was only fair for them to understand the situation all at once rather than bits and pieces at a time.

Luckily Hinata truly was second only to Tsunade, and perhaps Shizune, in medical skill. She had quickly patched up Akane and helped Natsuko's recovery within a day. The only thing that remained was for them to completely recover from the entire ordeal, both mentally and in terms of their Chakra reserves.

 _***SooP***_

The two groups arrived back at the allied camp two days later. Luckily the fighting had been temporarily halted for the last several days, due to losses on both sides.

The two sisters immediately moved off towards their tent to finish recuperating, and for Akane to reverse the seals that had been placed on her sister.

The two parents moved towards them, in an attempt to apologize.

Minato even reached out towards the young blonde, hoping to just embrace his daughter. His attempt was thwarted by the other.

The redhead immediately pushed her sister behind her into a defensive stance, her eyes glaring harshly towards the two Ninja.

"Stay the hell away from her"

Minato saw a Ninja protecting family from an enemy, and it broke his heart in ways he could not even begin to imagine.

Kushina, however, saw something even more disturbing. A look in the young girl's eyes that she had witnessed only one time before, and a rage was stirred in her heart. She had questions, and _someone_ was going to answer them.

Before the two could try again they were bombarded with 'fans' both young and old, along with rivals and even former enemies.

In the chaos the two Uzumaki sisters managed to slip away, unnoticed like they had so often in the past.

 _***SooP***_

"So who wants to begin the amazing tales of how awesome my daughters are?" Minato called out to the assembled Ninja.

Jiraiya was there, along with Tsunade, Kakashi, Anko, Shizune, Mikoto, Itachi, Kurenai, Gai, Asuma, and the other Kage.

"They are truly full of the FLAMES OF YOUTH! Yondaime-Sama!"

"Uh yeah, what Gai said… It is great to see you again Minato-Sensei."

The blonde smiled warmly at his former student.

Meanwhile Kushina had been staring at the ground in contemplation before whispering out her question. "Tsunade… do you hate me?"

The room clearing fell into deathly silence as the various Ninja stared at the woman.

"Wh-what are you talking about? Of course not Kushina! You are like a sister or a daughter to me why would…"

"THEN WHY DID YOU LET THEM DO THAT TO MY DAUGHTER!"

The woman flinched back, knowing exactly what the redhead was referring to.

"You saw that look in her eyes Tsunade! We all saw it! You know _exactly_ what that means… she looked just like one of the girls from Nanking!"

The younger generation looked rather confused at the statement, but the older ones gasped in horror.

"Tsunade-Sama, you never answered me last time when I asked what that meant, what does…" Shizune began.

"Nanking was a village that was caught in the middle of the Third Shinobi war," The former Hokage answered, his tone full of rage. "Kumogakure soldiers entered the village and were ordered to take all of the men as slaves… but the women were 'given' to them as entertainment… the official report is that every female had been raped and tortured repeatedly."

"Oh God no…" Kurenai sobbed out, falling down to her knees at what had befallen the redhead.

Suddenly it all made sense, the month that the redhead had gone missing, her fierce protectiveness towards the blonde, all of her personality quirks.

Shizune simply threw up.

Anko looked like a cross between murdering the next living being and crying for a week.

"I want their names"

Kakashi, being unable to look either of the two resurrected warriors in the eyes, looked up in shock and then wished that he hadn't.

He had never seen his Sensei in 'combat mode' before. He had heard the stories, just like anyone else, but he had never been on a battlefield with the man.

His presence was truly terrifying.

Gone was the warm smile and comforting laugh, they were replaced by a terrifyingly cold gaze. His laid back and relaxed stance was now uptight and militaristic. Instead of the normal feelings of joy and safety that he had always associated with him there was a promise death and destruction on unknown scales.

This was 'The Butcher' of Iwa, the man who had slain over a thousand soldiers in a single battle, the Shinobi who helped to end a war, a warrior who couldn't be matched.

"W-w-we..."

"I didn't ask for excuses Kakashi I want names."

"I managed to find out a few Minato; but not all of them, not based on the... evidence..."

The man shifted his gaze towards his Sensei, who winced back from the glare.

"What evidence?"

"Scars... Hokage-Sama, I wasn't made aware of them until the Chunin exam but she is covered in them... scars from every major clan in the village."

Once more the gaze shifted, this time to the woman who had fallen to the ground first, the one he identified as 'Kurenai'."

Kushina held back a sob of her own.

A few moments of silence passed before a voice rang out.

"You didn't have to volunteer. You could have just stayed silent."

The various Konoha Ninja looked up in shock at the blonde man.

"Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tsunade, Mikoto… none of you had to volunteer to look out for them, especially if you were just going to ignore them anyway. I would have found someone else, someone that _would_ have taken care of them."

"S-Sensei I…"

"You lost friends Kakashi we all have, but you had a chance to raise them, you all did… but instead you took the 'easy' path and just chose to leave them alone." The Shinobi shook his head in disgust.

 _***SooP***_

"Kushina-chan we need to talk about something..."

"Mikoto... I am truly disappointed in you. I know your love of family and for you to abandon mine... but even so I can forgive you. I heard about the Uchiha Massacre and given your situation trying to raise two boys afterwards..."

"It's not just that..."

"Mother perhaps this isn't the time to..."

"No! She has to be told Itachi-kun, I owe her more than you can understand. Kushina-chan the CRA was proposed for your daughters following the revelation that Natsuko could use Mokuton."

The area fell into a deathly silence, no one wanting to admit what had occurred.

"If that _thing_ was enacted on my daughter..."

"It wasn't I promised never to let that happen to them, not after all my failures already. I told both Hiruzen and Tsunade that if it came into effect we would never step foot back in Konoha again." Jiraiya proclaimed as he stared the two parents in the eyes.

"Thank you Jiraiya, but I don't understand why..."

"I voted yes..." the Uchiha matron whispered out.

The clan head stared down at the ground, not able to meet her best friend's glare that she was undoubtedly receiving.

Then it happened.

Killing intent on a scale she hadn't thought possible roared to life. Instantly she was on her knees, trying desperately to draw breath from the air which seemed to have thickened to the point of being a liquid.

Glancing to her sides she noticed most others in a similar state.

The only ones still able to remain standing were Tsunade, 'A', Oonoki, Mei, Jiraiya, and Minato. Of them only Minato seemed to be unaffected.

She slowly raised her head, and her blood froze at the sight.

Looking down, with a slight smile on her face, was her closest friend in the world. Someone who had stuck by her throughout everything she had gone through. Someone who had even created seals that had aided her conception, she had found it very difficult to conceive before the Fuinjutsu master's intervention.

She now understood what the rumors and legends were all about. Mikoto Uchiha had never believed what people had said about her closest ally, that she was the Shinigami who had taken physical form and prowled the battlefield. The idea of her being soaked in blood and smiling... it seemed outrageous that a woman so happy and loving could do such a thing.

Not anymore

The sky looked like it had turned red with the blood of those this woman had slaughtered. Her eyes were a deathly cold, as if killing was as trivial as greeting someone on the street. Her hand laid gently on the hilt of her sword, but she knew with even the slightest gesture she could cut a person in two. Worst of all though was the smile. It wasn't one of happiness and joy, of life and peace.

No it was one that promised the death of her enemies, one that guaranteed only one outcome to the situation.

The redhead strode forward, flowing like water between steps in a way that the prone woman wondered if she had moved at all, until she reached her target.

The woman had slowly unsheathed her fabled sword, preparing to strike down someone who had done the ultimate betrayal, in her mind.

Suddenly a voice called out, "Hey! Whoever is doing that cut it out!"

Without thinking Kushina focused her intent on the speaker, her daughter Akane.

Minato's eyes widened, realizing exactly what his wife was about to do, but wasn't able to stop it.

The woman's daughter just stared back, almost in an annoyed fashion.

"Natsuko is trying to sleep, so cut it out before I _make_ you."

The others gaped, the raw force of the woman had been enough to bring ANBU level Ninja to their knees. Only those who had seen war and slaughter had been able to remain _standing_ in her presence. Even then only her husband, who had been on the actual battlefield with her, was seemingly immune.

Yet this girl shook it off like it was nothing.

What the hell had happened to her?

The younger girl quirked an eyebrow at the shocked stares, even after the killing intent ceased.

"H-how is she..." Asuma muttered out, still trying to recover.

"Akane-chan I-I-I am so sorry I didn't..."

"Nothing to apologize for, I've felt worse."

Again the Ninja stared back.

The young girl sighed, really not wanting to explain her life to these people.

"The Yin half of the Kyuubi was sealed into me, meaning darkness, evil, primitive thought, and aggression. I was constantly being mentally tortured by that _thing_."

Minato held back his own sob, he knew that he had sealed half of the Kyuubi into both of his daughters but he hadn't thought about how the split had been made. It had been his fault for what she had suffered through...

"Don't feel bad, if the roles had been reversed I would be carving your intestines out right now for doing that to Natsuko. Luckily she got the Yang half and has always been in good standings with her."

"I-I'm so sorry... Akane-chan I..."

The girl nodded before slipping back into their tent.

Minato hung his head in despair. He had created a rift between his daughters that would never be repaired.

A comforting hand found its way onto his shoulder.

"Don't worry about that Minato. They knew about me when I met them during the Chunin exams and forgave me for not being with them. They will forgive you, just give them time." Jiraiya found himself on his back a moment later, having been thrown over the man's shoulder.

"DAMNIT JIRAIYA WHY THE HELL WEREN'T YOU THERE! I understand Kakashi being too young and hung up on the loss of everyone else. Tsunade had lost her family too. What the hell was your excuse damnit!"

"I... don't have one."

The blonde growled before taking a step forward to continue beating his teacher.

"Minato wait"

His rage was halted by a new voice, and turning he saw a man who looked... oddly like him.

"Who are you?"

"Ummm, my name is Arashi Namikaze... and I am sorta... kinda..."

"He's your dad Minato." Jiraiya answered for the man.

The Yondaime glanced between the two men for a few moments.

"No, my father is currently lying on the ground about to have his fingers broken as punishment for letting my daughters fend for themselves."

Everyone blinked in shock.

"M-Minato... but it's him. Your real father, the one you always talked about! He's the 'Kamikaze'. You were right all along about him being so amazing and..."

"Of course I was right! _You_ are amazing. Those stories were never about my biological father; they were about you. I saw you as the most amazing person ever. A Kage level Ninja who refused the position because he wanted to save lives. A spy of the greatest level, a genius who worked his way up from the bottom, the most successful writer of all time, and the story about being a farmer? Remember when you posed as one and gave food to the villagers because you felt bad? They were from the enemy country and you _still_ helped them out."

Tears began forming at the white haired man's eyes. He had everything he wanted the entire time. Minato considered him a father, and always had; Tsunade had secretly loved him, and had for years; and even with his failures the two Uzumaki sisters considered him their grandfather.

"Minato... son... I'm so sorry for failing them and you... I thought it would be better if... I am so sorry..."

The glare broke and the younger blonde helped his 'father' up off the ground.

"Of course you know that Kushina-chan is still going to beat you up."

The Sanin grimaced as he glanced over at an overly excited, and smirking, Kunoichi.

Meanwhile Arashi looked on with a warm smile, before being called out to.

"Hey old man, get your ass over here. Your family too so you are stuck with the group hugs, and the beatings, just like everyone else."

Chuckling the wind master nodded before walking over to receive whatever was owed to him.

 _***SooP***_

"Do you think they will ever forgive us?" Kushina whispered out to her husband, unknowingly being heard by several others as well.

"Of course they will Kushina, you didn't abandon them like we did and yet..." Jiraiya began, before being cut off by his student.

"How exactly do you forgive your father for trying to kill you? For saying... Kami the things we said to them..."

"Minato it wasn't your fault, you were under Orochimaru's control."

"Do you think that forgives a mother for calling her daughter, who had been repeatedly raped, a whore?" The Kunoichi snapped back, anger at herself raging in her eyes.

"Your daughters are amazing people Kushina-chan, they have forgiven far worse from far more terrible people. Just give them some time, trust me." Tsunade gently urged.

 _***SooP***_

Hours later the two parents finally found the courage, ironically this situation scared them more than all of the battles they had ever been in, and gently tapped on the side of their daughter's tent.

Hearing a slight acknowledgment, the two older Ninja entered, noticing that the two girls looked to be constantly on guard around them.

"Jiraiya has informed us that we shouldn't be any more of a threat, the seals that were affecting our minds were damaged when Orochimaru died and Jiraiya made sure that they were removed." Kushina whispered out, her eyes glued to the ground rather than the forms of those she had failed the most.

"I... we wanted to apologize for... Kami for just so much..." Minato slowly began, hoping to try and somehow make amends for what he had done.

"The things we said, that we did..."

"You were being controlled, it wasn't your fault." Natsuko interrupted with a shrug.

"No, that's not fair. This can't be just waved off as 'something that just happens'. We hurt you two, in ways that parents never should. Hell I don't even know if we can honestly be called your parents since we sure as hell haven't acted like them."

"You brought us into this world, I believe that is the definition." Akane pointed out.

"That isn't true, Tsunade gave birth to me but I have never thought of her as my mother. Parents are people who raise and protect you. We have done neither of these things."

"You are dead, that doesn't really give much time for raising or protecting."

"And the two times I have seen you? The first was me throwing kunai into your back and the second was... well I have done unforgivable things to you two." The Yondaime muttered.

"We both have, and there is no excuse for any of this. We can only beg for your forgiveness, and try to make some kind of amends before we depart again."

"Your leaving again?" Natsuko almost whimpered out her question, earning heartbreaking expressions from the two parents.

"It's not their choice. The _Edo Tensei_ only lasts for so long after the original creator is killed. Without their will and Chakra maintaining the Jutsu the soldiers only have a few hours, maybe a day at most, to remain in this world before they fade away. Otherwise they could have simply brought back the first Hokage and kept him alive forever."

"Correct, though I am surprised you know so much about the technique Akane-chan." The other redhead praised.

"I was asked by the Hokage to come up with a counter strategy for it. I had to deal with an entire army of resurrected soldiers after all."

The two older Ninja shared a 'why is our daughter being forced to do this by herself' look before returning their gazes towards the two girls.

"Regardless, I understand if you hate us both. If I had been in your position I..."

"We don't hate you, mom we just... we never had actual parents growing up, and our 'father' figure rarely had time to spend with us. We don't know how to handle this." The blonde slowly replied, as if unsure about the way to address the woman.

Kushina's mood seemed to uplift considerably at the answer, noticing her other daughter nod in agreement.

"So Hiruzen was who you saw as a father then? I suppose that makes sense. Still doesn't make me any less pissed at Jiraiya or the others though." The blonde man growled.

"We forgave them too; did you really think we wouldn't be able to forgive the two people who had no choice but to leave us? Out of everyone here you two were the easiest ones to forgive."

The two older Ninja looked on with tearful expressions towards their redheaded daughter, before nodding in thanks.

 _***SooP***_

"So..." the blonde Shinobi seemed a bit nervous at first, as if not quite knowing how to approach the subject.

"So what?"

"Okay how did you do it!? Obviously you added wind Chakra to the _Rasengan_ but how!? I mean it took me years and I still couldn't figure it out!" The man half exclaimed, half begged.

Instantly Natsuko began giving a giggling and excited explanation to her father, going in depth into the various ideas and techniques she had tried, what had worked, and what hadn't. Meanwhile the man nodded, taking notes and appearing just as enthusiastic as his daughter did.

Akane merely shook her head, she figured that Natsuko got her personality from one of their parents, who knew it would be the one who ended up as Hokage.

"Just like her father"

The redhead turned slightly, noticing her mother walking up slowly from behind. The girl nodded in acknowledgment.

"It appears so, who knew that the Fourth Hokage was so..."

"Ridiculous? Yeah but that is one of the reasons I fell in love with him. He makes life fun and interesting."

"Natsuko does the same, she is the life of the party no matter where she goes."

"And what about you? Surely you have quite the following yourself right?"

The young girl shook her head, "I scare everyone far too much to have friends. I can probably count the number of people who can be in the same room with me for more than ten minutes on one hand at this point."

The woman's mood fell, she knew that being a Jinchuriki was hard but... there were so many people who had abandoned her daughters.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered out.

"We already forgave you for..."

"Not just that, for everything. For having to put this burden on you and your sister. For not being there while you grew up. For not protecting you like I should have."

"It's not like you could help it, being dead kind of prevents the whole 'mother daughter bonding time'."

"I know... could I at least... try? While I am here I mean."

Akane stared at her mother for a moment, before giving a warm smile and a nod, "I would like that."

The two embraced, followed shortly by the other two members of their family, for the first time reunited in love.

After a few moments the former Kage resumed his 'goofy' personality role.

"Incredible, simply incredible! To think my daughter would be the one to master my personal technique I knew you two would end up being geniuses!" Minato practically sang out.

"We only passed the academy due to a bet with the Hokage" his redheaded daughter deadpanned.

While Kushina giggled the Yondaime froze in celebration, before weeping false tears. "She is just like you Kushina-chan, so mean to me..."

"So you made a bet with the old man and won eh? Why wouldn't they let you two pass to begin with?"

"Couldn't perform the necessary Jutsu mom." The blonde happily answered.

"What? Why not? You should have been... DAMNIT OLD MAN!" The blonde Kage swore in annoyance, knowing full well why they couldn't.

"So you couldn't perform the basic _Bunshin_ because of the Chakra control issue huh? I had the same problem when I was in the academy you know." the older Kunoichi mused.

"I can't perform any of them."

The two parents froze, before looking towards their other daughter.

"What do you mean? Why not?"

"My Chakra is too dense to perform any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, it simply doesn't work for me. Something to do with the Kyuubi messing with me and my heritage."

Minato growled in anger, while his wife took on a more analytical approach, "The Uzumaki do have considerably denser Chakra than normal Ninja, and if what you said about the Kyuubi is true... I'm so sorry sweetheart, I wish we had known. We could have made alterations and prevented this."

"It's okay, plus through that I discovered something even greater."

This time the blonde perked up, his mind going over the other question he had from the battle.

"It's how you perfected my technique isn't it? How did you do it? The _Hiraishin_ , it has to be performed with seals but you didn't use any at the end."

" _Hiraishin Third Step_. I came up with it during the training with Jiraiya."

"How does it work? Do you completely bend space time? Is it a different Jutsu? Do you combine several seals into one? Did you secretly make a massive seal under the ground when we didn't notice?" The man began rattling off possible explanations, earning a sweat drop from the three Kunoichi.

Kushina interrupted him with a slap to the back of his head, "If you would let her finish I am sure she would tell you..."

The man gave an embarrassed chuckle, before excitedly urging the girl on.

She nodded, before lifting up her shirt and channeling her Chakra, thus revealing a seal on the center of her torso.

Because of this she missed the darkened expressions from her two parents at the scars she bore.

Snapping back to reality the two experienced Ninja examined the Fuinjutsu.

"But that's..."

"A modified _Hiraishin_ seal... I don't understand how it..."

"Normally the technique works by teleporting to the mark itself, creating a bend in space and time which between the user and the destination seal. Instead I put the seal on myself thus allowing my Chakra to act as one massive seal. Because my Chakra is so dense it can exist and be focused on far easier than normal people."

"You aren't teleporting to the seal... you're teleporting to your Chakra!"

"Exactly, I first used it during Orochimaru's invasion in the Chunin exams when we first met father. The problem was that it was still in prototype form and left me with massive vertigo. Plus, it took me far longer to spread my Chakra out enough to be used at range."

"That is... genius!" The man happily declared, before grabbing his daughter and pulling her into an excited hug.

Akane immediately froze up, not being used to hugs like this from 'strangers', something that her mother noticed and added to the things to beat her 'guardians' for. A moment later she slowly returned the gesture.

 _***SooP***_

"Akane-chan, I wanted to... return this to you." The 'Bloody Smile' presented her sword back to the young girl whom she had willed it to.

"It's yours not mine."

The woman fiercely shook her head back and forth.

"I am no longer of this world so it passed onto my two daughters... obviously Natsuko-chan thought you should have it and I agree with her. I wish you didn't need it but... it appears you followed your father and I's footsteps regardless of our intervention."

"I have my own already, I don't think I need..."

"Please..."

The girl sighed before nodding, "Alright after this is all over I would be glad to take it back, but I have a bad feeling you will need it before this war is through."

The woman nodded, before awkwardly shifting back and forth.

"I wanted you to know... how proud I am of you, how proud both your father and I are of you two. Not only did you exceed our wildest expectations but... to have gone through what you did and still be the wonderful person you are..."

"Natsuko is the one you should be praising. Without her I wouldn't be what I am today."

"And without you she would not be as she is now. You two depend on and protect each other far more than either of you realize."

 _***SooP***_

An hour later the four reunited family members were sitting around a small campfire, happily conversing away from prying eyes.

"So I heard from quite a few sources that the two of you are in the running for next Hokage." The Yondaime hinted, while Kushina looked at her two daughters.

"Just Natsuko, I believe Tsunade has already made a note for her to be either the sixth or seventh."

"Not interested Akane-chan?"

"Not in the least bit, too much paperwork, politics, and too many bad memories with the villagers. I would much rather be ANBU."

"Guess you got that from me then, I am glad I found out what the job entails before seriously trying for it." The older redhead mused.

"Hey it's not all bad... I got a really cool hat..."

"The coolest hat!"

"See! Natsuko-chan has the right idea!"

"And a really cool cloak!"  
"The _coolest_ cloak!" the man agreed in excitement.

"And so much ramen!"

The former Kage's face tightened, becoming serious for a moment, "You... like ramen?"

"It's the best, but Akane-chan doesn't let me eat it all the time" The younger girl pouted at the last statement.

"Akane-chan... is this true... have you denied your sister THE GIFT FROM THE GODS THEMSELVES!?"

"Oh great she got it from you..."

"TRULY RAMEN IS THE GREATEST INVENTION OF MAN!"

Natsuko had tears of joy in her eyes, Kushina and Akane merely sweat dropped.

 _***SooP***_

 _***SooP***_

"Anko you were Orochimaru's former student correct?"

"Yes, that's correct Hokage-Sama, Kushina-Sama."

"I'm not Hokage anymore you don't need to call me that, especially not you. I heard that you have become quite close to my daughters, that you have been like a sister to them."

"I think of them as my sister yes, but I have hurt them as well. I knew you were their parents and didn't tell them."

"You were ordered not to correct?" the other Kunoichi inquired, earning a confirming nod from the woman. "Then I am sure they have forgiven you. I am just glad that they were not completely alone in the village. To know that at least a few people were looking out for them... thank you."

"I did what I could but... it wasn't enough. I still couldn't protect them from everything."

"No one could from what we understand. If they have forgiven you then we have as well."

The woman nodded in thanks, before noticing that the two sisters' remaining teammate was approaching with a determination in her eyes.

"Hopefully I will see you two later, I want to go check on your daughters for a minute."

A slight gesture told them that they would be conversing with the Hyuga next, moments later the woman leapt off.

"Hokage-Sama, Uzumaki-Sama, it is an honor to meet you both."

The man seemed to raise himself up, as if his height would give further and puffing out his chest.

"Aw no need to be so formal Hinata-chan, you can just call us Kushina and Minato."

The air rapidly left her husband, as he whined about losing respect with "today's youth".

"U-uhm okay thank you Kushina-Sama"

"Just Kushina will be fine, so Hinata-chan what can we do for you?"

"Ummm I was wondering if… well you see…"

"No need to be so worried Hinata-chan just let us know what we can do to help." The blonde man smiled warmly, helping to diffuse the anxiety that the poor girl was feeling.

"I have been… seeing your daughters for some time now and I was wondering if… if I could have your permission to marry them."

The two older Ninja's froze, a bit shocked at what the timid girl had just asked.

"Ummm which one?"

"Both of them."

"You want to marry… both of my daughters…" The Yondaime repeated back, trying to get a handle on the situation.

"Yes"

Again the two parents seemed frozen, before Kushina grabbed the girl into a fierce hug.

"You are just adorable! Of course you can marry my daughters! Oh you three will make such a beautiful couple! Akane-chan can wear my wedding dress and Natsuko could be in some orange with…"

As the woman rattled on excitedly the fourth Hokage glanced around. His instincts had immediately kicked in and he knew that such a situation was bound to attract his perverted Sensei and student.

Sure enough he found the two, hastily making notes about the 'wedding night' for the three Kunoichi.

"O-oh hey Sensei, funny meeting you here we were just uhhhhh…."

"JUST THINK OF IT MINATO-KUN! The shy pale eyed princess seducing the sunshine incarnate and the ice queen with a heart of gold! I WILL BE RICH!"

"I'm going to give you two a thirty second head start before I tell Kushina-chan you were here… and then I am going to sit back and watch."

The two men paled, before sprinting off in sheer terror.

Their cries of pain would echo through the camp for hours afterwards.

 _***SooP***_

"Excuse me um Hoka…"

"YO AKANE AND NATSUKO'S PARENTS!"

That was it, this was the final straw. Sakura was going to have to kill her teammate. Sure Kakashi would be upset with her for a while, and it might irritate his clan but… it was worth it in the long run.

"Kiba how the hell did you ever make it past the rank of Genin?" Neji muttered out in annoyance, trying to rub away the headache he already felt forming.

The two experienced warriors turned, and noticed the small gathering. The rest of their daughters' class was assembled before them, along with Itachi.

"Oh hello there, you must be Akane-chan and Natsuko-chan's classmates."

"Hell yeah we are! My name is Kiba Inuzuka and…"

"I swear kibbles if you don't stop talking I'm going to burn your lips shut with a fire Jutsu…"

The loud boy growled towards his Uchiha teammate.

"You got something to say teme?"

As the two boys began to get into their normal argument the others walked around them and approached the parents of their comrades.

"We just wanted to find and apologize for not helping your daughters more while we were able… we were pretty mean to them during the academy…" Ino quietly spoke, her face downcast a bit as she remembered all the rumors she had spread about the two girls, especially Akane.

"Oh that's alright, I am sure that they forgive you. Besides you were kids back then so no harm no foul." The blonde man happily replied.

"I was actually hoping to thank you Hokage-Sama. You have two wonderful daughters and I was actually lucky enough to date the older one for a bit before we decided it was better to break it off."

The two reincarnated Ninja glanced towards each other in confusion for a moment.

"Really? I would have thought that you and Akane would have made a better couple, well I suppose opposites do tend to attract." Kushina replied with a shrug.

"That is who I was referring to, your older daughter."

"Akane is actually the younger of the two."

This statement brought all the arguments, and conversations, in the immediate area to a halt, with jaws hitting the floor from everyone who had encountered the two girls.

"A-are you sure Hokage-Sama? I mean no disrespect but the way that they act it seems as though…"

"THEY ARE SO VERY YOUTHFUL!"

The various Ninja turned to stare at a crying Lee, and his teacher who had shown up to embrace the boy.

"YES LEE LET US CELEBRATE THEIR YOUTH WITH A CONTEST OF STRENGTH AND WILL!"

"YOSH GAI-SENSEI, AND IF I CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THIS THEN I SHALL RUN AROUND KONOHA ONE HUNDRED TIMES BACKWARDS WHILE CARRYING A SMALL CHILD!"

"AND IF YOU CANNOT SUCCEED IN THAT LEE THEN I SHALL RUN AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS WHILE CARRYING YOU WHO IS CARRYING A SMALL CHILD!"

"Actually… never mind about the whole age thing." Tenten deadpanned, while she watched on in embarrassment towards the two men.

 _***SooP***_

"Akane-chan, Natsuko-chan… it's time." The redhead called out, as the two resurrected Ninja's bodies began to glow softly.

Natsuko was already crying when she threw herself into a hug with her parents.

Akane looked mournful as well as she joined in.

"Now now none of that. We will see you again someday, but not for a damn long time do you understand me? If you two don't survive then you are both grounded." The blonde spoke in a teasing manner.

"Take care of each other, live long lives, be happy, be free." Kushina muttered to her two children, as the tears poured down her face as well.

"And for the love of Kami you had better make up an awesome technique using _my_ name instead of just your mothers!"

Natsuko giggled while the glowing continued to brighten, then they were gone.

 _***SooP***_

"Kage-Samas there is another force approaching our front lines, this one seems to be composed of the remaining Zetsu army." A scout hastily called out to the commanders of the allied force.

"Very good, we can finally end this battle once and for all." 'A' replied with a confident grin.

"There is something else sir… it appears that they are being led by two different individuals. One is wearing a dark red armor and the other has on black robes matching that of the Akatsuki."

Oonoki looked a bit startled for a moment before asking his own questions, "The man in red, describe him."

"Long wild black hair, pale skin, and he appeared to be carrying a large war fan."

The older man paled immediately.

"Madara Uchiha…" he whispered out, as if speaking the name would summon the man.

The other's looked towards their leader in shock.

"If that's true… we need to engage him outside of the camp. The collateral damage he could create would devastate the army even if we are victorious."

"What about the two girls? Surely they can…" Mei began, before being cut off by Gaara.

"I believe the Uzumaki sisters have done enough for us already. Surely we can stop two men without having to depend on them?"

"He's right, besides they are still getting over watching their parents disappear before them. I think they have earned a break." Tsunade muttered, her gaze focused on the tent she knew that the two girls were currently residing in.

The other village leaders nodded in agreement, before preparing for the inevitable battle.

***Omake***

"Hinata"

"Neji-Sama"

The boy glanced around, making sure that there weren't any eavesdroppers, before he replied in a low tone.

"I believe that Ko of the Main Clan has information on 'the event'."

Hinata's expression never changed, though if one looked close enough they would notice her finger flexing nervously.

"Is that so, you are certain?"

"Yes, I overheard a conversation where he was speaking about 'teaching the redhead a lesson years ago'."

"I see… thank you Neji-Sama I will handle…"

"I insist on coming along with you."

"I do not believe that is a good idea. If anyone discovered that you were involved…"

"Most of the authority figures are highly indebted to them. Besides if anyone does start a fuss I am sure that that Hokage would _love_ to hear about it."

Hinata nodded in understanding.

"The others have begun looking for the members of their clans. They wish to participate as well."

"Understandable, I will assemble them tonight. We move at dusk."

 _***SooP***_

The Hyuga man woke up with a mind numbing headache, and completely bound.

"Wha-what's going on?"

"What is going on Ko-Sama is that we have some questions for you. Questions that need to be answered." A voice called out.

The man immediately recognized the form of Hinata as she stepped from the shadows of the abandoned building.

"You! What have you done to me you bitch!? When I get out of here I am going to…"

"It doesn't really matter you aren't leaving here; at least not in one piece."

The new voice sounded out, as the younger Uchiha stepped forward from the shadows, followed by his two teammates, then the others of his class.

The only two that were missing were the two 'Demon Children'.

"Now I know what you are thinking Ko-Sama. We are indeed missing my two teammates. But quite frankly for all the times they have protected us well…"

"It is past time that _we_ protected _them_." The normally jovial Akimichi heir finished.

Looking between the faces the Hyuga spied his last chance of rescue, the _true_ heir of his clan.

"Neji-Sama! Please help me, I don't know what they have told you but it is a lie!"

"They haven't told me anything, and I will save my judgement for your answers, Hinata if you would?"

"Of course, like I said we have some questions for you. The most important will be first, and if you don't answer well…"

"If you don't then I get to 'play' around in your mind and see what I can find. The trouble is that I have trouble with the technique sometimes and it can become… very messy." Ino happily replied, a bit too happy for the man's comfort.

"I-I have nothing to hide from you brats!"

"Good, years ago there was an assault on Akane Uzumaki. During this assault terrible things were done to her over the period of a month. Were you involved in this?"

Three sets of Dojutsu instantly focused on the man, and he knew that any attempt at lying would be detected by at least one of them. But then again he knew that they wouldn't be able to do anything to him. He was a member of the Main Clan, and any assault on him would carry heavy punishments. Obviously several of the children were being lied to, probably told that he had tried to stop the assault or help the demons. He would correct that mistake now, and let them know that he had participated in the 'crusade' against the monsters.

"Yes, I was there. We carried out Kami's work and did the Fourth Hokage proud. We broke the bitch, over and over again. We mutilated her and listened to her sobs and begs like they were music. We made sure that she bore a mark for every person that she killed during the Kyuubi's attack. We made her beg for each and every person's forgiveness. The only regret that we had was that we only captured one of the demons, not both. I always was a fan of the blonde."

Most of the Ninja looked ready to throw up at the man's confession. For him to take _joy_ in such an act…

The members of the group stepped outside of the room, to remain outside of the man's hearing.

"Monster…" Lee muttered out, his eyes filled with a rage that none could associate with him.

"What do we do with him? We have no evidence, we can't turn him in like this the Hyuga will have him out in a day, no offense." The blonde Yamanaka muttered out.

"We aren't going to turn him in." Shino replied, a faint buzzing filling the room as he considered all of the ways that his insects could kill the man.

"Shino is right, I say we start cutting things off and burn the wounds shut. I know enough to keep him alive for days, if not weeks. He tortured Akane-chan so I say we do the same to him."

The others turned, shocked, towards the normally passive pinkette.

"Sakura-chan do you realize what you are…" Sasuke began, still stunned that his girlfriend could be so… cruel.

"Of course I do. The things he helped do to her… she saved my team several times. Natsuko and her have saved both you and Kiba. She sacrificed herself to save me… and it's not like she owed us. We were cruel to her growing up. We turned a blind eye to their suffering. Never again, this bastard is going to bleed."

The others nodded.

"Okay but we have to be in agreement, all of us. If someone here isn't comfortable with this, then we can't put them in any kind of situation where they are forced to choose between friendship and the village. If anyone here doesn't think we should proceed then we stop, raise your hand now if you are **not** in agreement with this course of action." Shikamaru pointed out, before glancing around.

No one moved, no one averted their eyes in uncertainty, no one gulped nervously.

The only faces staring back were those of Ninja, those of friends and family that had beheld a monster attack one of their own.

His classmates were a clan in and of themselves, tied together by something stronger than blood or loyalty pledges.

One of them had been hurt, badly. The only recourse was justice.

"Right then, Sakura, Ino and Hinata start working on keeping him alive through any means necessary. He has dared to call our sisters monsters… let us show him just how monstrous we can be." Neji growled out.

Ko Hyuga would never be seen or heard from again. The only evidence of his existence would be his eyes, sent back to the Hyuga with a note.

'Those who have chosen to remain blind shall be forced to see.'

***A/N***

Wow I really didn't think the chapter would go this long… and this was _after_ I cut out a ton of scenes.

So lots of heart felt apologies, lots of anger, lots of forgiveness etc etc etc. Back to the war next chapter!

Hope everyone enjoyed my longer chapter for this story to date!


	35. Legacy of the Uchiha

**Sum of our Parts**

Legacy of the Uchiha

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

" _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

"I will murder you!" Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"Since the Kage have departed to combat Madara that leaves the remaining commanders in charge. Kakashi-Sama what do you…"

The Nara trailed off as he noticed the silver haired man staring off into the distance.

"What is it?"

"I have something I need to take care of. Something I haven't felt since…" With that the cyclopean Jonin leapt off, intent on finding the source of his unease.

"Well that's great, now what Shikamaru?"

"The plan hasn't changed Choji, just those in charge. We still have a large number of enemy soldiers remaining so we need to focus on defeating them first and then dealing with the remaining two enemies."

"ALL RIGHT LETS DO THIS TEAM! TEAM SEVEN, CHARGE!" Kiba roared out, charging forward without realizing that no one was following him.

"He's going to get himself killed, and then I am somehow going to get blamed for it." Sasuke sighed in annoyance, before running after his teammate, followed by the other Konoha forces.

 _***SooP***_

"So this is the best that your 'army' can send against me? A bunch of children pretending to play 'Kage'."

"Madara Uchiha, your forces have been all but destroyed. Your plans lay in ruin and your allies are dead. What can you possibly gain by continuing this?"

"What a surprise, a Senju tries to talk me out of my path. Just like your grandfather."

"Remind me again what the results were the last time you fought one of my clan?" The blonde replied with a smirk, earning a glare in return.

"None of you are even comparable to my level; no one is. Allow me to demonstrate."

With that the former Uchiha clan leader summoned several massive blue _Susanoo_ soldiers, completely surrounding his adversaries.

"With your deaths I can move on and complete my final goal, the world shall be bathed in moonlight for all time and I shall become a God."

"Not if I put my fist through your face." 'A' shot back, immediately charging himself with electricity, while the other Kage prepared for combat as well.

 _***SooP***_

"Alright teme, let's show these _losers_ what a team of Jonin can really do! Time for operation…"

"Kiba I swear to all that is holy in this world if you make up some stupid ass name I will shank you."

The Inuzuka began muttering about 'ungrateful assholes' before speaking up once again, "Yeah you wish I had a kick ass name for this. I figured I would tone it down though since it involves you. Operation Team Seven Firestorm!"

Immediately boy joined with Akamaru and fused into the massive canine form. Then they began to spin into a large tornado, dragging the surrounding enemy soldiers towards them.

"I got this!" Sakura replied, before sending a wave of fire, which ignited the surrounding winds and further incinerated their opponents.

Finally, Sasuke created a large thunderstorm, calling down bolts of lightning and further destroying the area.

When all was said and done a large group of Zetsu were utterly destroyed.

"And that… is how… you do it… asshole."

"Hm, pathetic. Perhaps we should show you how a _real_ team battles. Lee, Tenten formation number three!"

The Hyuga heir began spinning rapidly, creating a _Kaiten_ before adding in fire Chakra as his cousin had taught him.

The normally blue sphere turned a deep crimson as it burned with a roaring intensity.

As this was happening Lee began running rapid circles around the outside of an even larger group of enemies, drawing them into the space between the two conflicting whirlwinds and tearing them apart in the process.

Finally, Tenten let forth a massive barrage of projectiles, which were quickly caught up in the devastating winds, thus creating a maelstrom of destruction and weaponry.

Moments later the attack died down, revealing the three smirking Jonin.

"What was that about 'Konoha Jonin' mutt?"

"Not bad you guys, but how about Konoha's number one team show you what teamwork is all about? Alright boys hop to it!"

"Ino, I don't think we necessarily need to…"

"DAMNIT CHOJI I SAID HOP TO IT!"

"Fine fine, jeesh rude much?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing…"

"Man this is all so troublesome, I thought I would be exempt from fighting since I was forced to be in charge. Whatever, Delta pattern."

With that Ino closed her eyes to establish a link with Shino, who sent his insects underground.

Next Shikamaru grabbed the shadows of dozens of enemy soldiers, and forced them into one area, before an enlarged Akimichi stomped onto the dirt.

The effects were immediate, the ground caved in from when the Kikaichu insects had weakened it with Ino's directions.

The soldiers fell into the deep hole, only to be covered up with ground from several powerful earth Jutsu a moment later.

"Ha way more creative than your team forehead, except for you Sasuke-kun you were fantastic." The blonde called out dreamily.

The pinkette merely rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Doesn't matter we are still in the lead suckers! HEY TEAM EIGHT BEAT THAT YOU JERKS!" Kiba declared.

The others immediately turned towards him with 'are you freaking serious' looks.

"Kiba… why in the bloody hell would you challenge _them_ to outdo us!?"

"Uh… because we are awesome?"

"I should have realized long ago that I was put on this team to compensate for your lack of intellect Kiba…" Sakura muttered while shaking her head.

A wave of water interrupted any further thought, as Hinata gathered together well over a hundred enemies into a single area.

"Natsuko-chan now!"

The blonde happily nodded, before flowing through hand signs.

A massive tree roared out of the ground moments later, casting an immense shadow over the area.

Akane proceeded to cut through it without effort.

"Timber" the girl deadpanned, before giving it a 'gentle' kick.

The tree toppled over smashing the Zetsu into white paste.

"Nice going Kiba, looks like they win again." Sasuke deadpanned.

"Technically they won from the start. I don't think any of us can match over twenty _thousand_ kills in a matter of minutes." Shikamaru pointed out.

"We are still winning. Team eight doesn't count." The Inuzuka called with a sage nod.

"What do you mean they don't count? Why the hell not?"

"Because Sakura-chan they are too powerful."

"Shouldn't that mean they count even more? Why exclude them just because they have surpassed you?" The Aburame heir wisely noted.

"Nope, it would be like comparing us to a Kage, it isn't a fair test."

Tenten smirked, "So you are finally admitting that they are better than you?"

"I am saying that it would be like comparing the teme and my awesomeness levels. It just isn't fair."

Sasuke's eye began to twitch, and he fought back the urge to, once again, stab his teammate.

 _***SooP***_

"Ah I was wondering when you would show up Kakashi Hatake"

"Is it true? Obito… after all these years…"

"So you figured it out eh? I must say I am a bit disappointed that it took my activation of my _Mangekyo_ to finally alert you to what was right in front of your eyes."

"I am sorry for everything that happened to you… and to Rin, but this path that you walk…"

"It is the path of true peace Kakashi why can you not see it? I am giving you this one chance to join with us. Come and usher in a new era of peace. One where Rin can be alive, where there is no war or conflict. We can create it together Kakashi, like it should always have been."

The silver haired man paused, as if having a great debate in his mind, before shaking his head.

"You know I can't do that Obito. Too many people are depending on me, I have already failed so many times, I will not give up again."

"This will only end one way Kakashi. You will lay dead at my feet and the world will realize true peace."

"I might not live through this but I don't have to win this time. My goal is simply not to lose."

With that the two former friends charged each other and engaged in a fierce battle of Taijutsu.

 _***SooP***_

"How pathetic, I would have thought that five Kage could put up a better fight than this." The sociopathic Uchiha mused as he dodged another attempt by Tsunade to pound him into the ground.

Thus far the fight had not gone in favor of the allied leaders. Not only was Madara able to keep his _Mangekyo Sharingan_ abilities but he also wielded a Rinnegan, thus further boosting his considerable powers.

Another attempt by Gaara to surround and crush the man was easily foiled by a concentrated blast of gravitational energy, sending the boy flying.

It was only due to his sand's defensive properties that he was able to cushion the blow.

Next 'A' tried a flanking maneuver, but even with his considerable speed the _Sharingan_ simply gave the man too much of an edge against his adversary.

A dozen blows to the Kumo leader's chest sent him flying backwards, followed up by a massive fireball; he was able to escape further harm only due to Mei's interference.

Unfortunately this instantly made her a target, and a gust of wind, followed by a wave of flames, forced her onto the defensive and left her arms badly burned.

While Tsunade worked on healing her wounds the oldest of the Kage attempted to use his fabled 'Dust Release' but was unable to land a solid blow against the vastly physically superior man.

"It really is too bad Hashirama is not here to fight me, I long for a challenging opponent."

Leaping backwards, and dodging another attempt by the Raikage to land a blow, the Uchiha scowled at the return of the Mizukage's fighting ability.

"As interesting as it would be to continue toying with all of you I don't have the time nor the patience to do so. It is time to show you what a true Uchiha is capable of."

With that the man forced his considerable Chakra, and summoned forth multiple Susanoo onto the field.

"Let us see how well you can fight an army without one protecting you."

 _***SooP***_

The battle between the two former teammates had quickly escalated into the use of weapons, and from there Ninjutsu.

Currently Kakashi was trying to figure out a way to lay a solid blow against the man, who thankfully hadn't been utilizing his _Rinnegan_.

"Face it Kakashi," The man taunted as he phased through his opponent's blow, only to deliver a powerful strike to the man's shoulder when he was safe from harm. "You can't touch me, I have learned and become powerful. You are now the loser who cannot keep up with me rather than the other way around."

"You were never a lose Obito, Rin knew that."

"STOP TALKING ABOUT HER! You failed her Kakashi, just like you failed me. You are responsible for her death and my destruction. It was only Madara-Sama that allowed me to find life and new purpose."

"And what is that Obito? Total world domination? Do you truly believe that capturing the Biju will allow you to bring about peace? Do you really think that you two can force the nations to comply?"

"Of course not, that would only lead to rebellions and disobedience. No I have seen the truth Kakashi. The true way to peace lies in creating a world that people will accept. It involves giving everyone their true desires rather than false dreams like so many have promised us. Once the Biju are captured I will become the Jinchuriki of all and then I will ascend to Divinity. Once there I will place all the world under a grand Genjutsu and finally rid creation of violence and hatred. Everyone will live out the rest of their lives in a beautifully perfect world, one where all of the heart's desires are met."

"So you want to take away free will just because you have lost someone close to you? You are not the Obito I once knew. He would never have given up so easily on everything, to turn to such hatred…"

"YOU KNOW NOTHING KAKASHI! But soon… soon you will know what it is like to lose everything. I will not kill you here, instead you will be forced to watch as the Kyuubi is extracted from that girl. You will watch her die just like you stood back and watched Rin die, just as you abandoned me. Then you will know true despair."

"I will not let you hurt them Obito… even if I have to kill you myself.

 _***SooP***_

"Madara Uchiha, do you truly believe that I would stand by and let you hurt my grandchildren? Do you think that any of us would merely allow you to win without a fight?"

The Uchiha turned slowly, and noted the blonde haired man standing before him.

"Ah you must be Arashi Namikaze. I have heard quite a bit about you from the various reports."

"Normally I would say that I am honored, but in your case… well be acknowledged by a psychopath isn't something to brag about."

Madara laughed, before turning completely to face the Namikaze.

"So you wish to challenge me now too? Very well, let us see whether the divine wind can pose a challenge to me."

With the slightest of gestures, a volley of wind blades tore across the battlefield towards the resurrected man.

The _Sharingan_ wielder easily avoided the attacks, before launching a massive fireball to counter.

Instantly the blast began to weaken, as the 'Namikaze' began to draw air from its path.

Madara scowled for an instant, before going through hand signs of his own and creating a massive gust of wind to push the attack through, strengthening it enough that his enemy was forced to dodge out of the way.

"An interesting technique, by robbing my Jutsu of the air you can actually cancel it out. Unfortunately the opposite is just as true, I can easily provide it with additional 'fuel' from another direction to counteract your effort."

This time it was the blonde's turn to frown. He knew that the battle would not be an easy one but for his technique to be countered so easily…

 _***SooP***_

"How utterly disappointing. I had thought that with everything that had occurred you would have trained and become what you once were Kakashi, a feared ANBU captain. Now though... well look at yourself. Barely standing and covered in wounds whereas I am only starting to tire. You spent too much time at that memorial stone my old rival."

The silver haired man chuckled humorlessly. It was a bit ironic that because of his obsession with those that he had failed one of them would now be the one to kill him. Perhaps his name would end up carved on that stone as well. If so... would anyone come to visit him?

"Well let's finish this up shall we? I still need to collect the three remaining Biju and if the Chakra signatures are any indication then Madara-Sama is finishing up with the Kage as we speak."

The cyclopean Jonin gave a slight growl as straightened himself up and back into his combat stance.

"Oh come on Kakashi you don't really think you can defeat me do you? That eye that has made you so famous is _mine_ after all. That means that I know far more about it and can control it to a degree you cannot even imagine. Hell I have been holding back this entire time as I am sure you have noticed. I have only been using my _Sharingan_ rather than the _Rinnegan_. I could end you in an instance."

"Then why haven't you Obito? If you are as merciless and cruel as you claim then why not end this fight and go on to kill who you need to? I think that deep down you really do want to come back to Konoha, to abandon this warped dream of yours and to protect lives rather than destroying them."

"You are wrong; that side of me, that dream, died along with Rin all those years ago. I will finish what I started and cast the world in moonlight for all time, then all of the dreams will be realized forever. Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?"

"What is worth dying for is the peace that honors those who have fallen, those who have given their lives to make it a realization. You do not honor Rin's sacrifice Obito, or Sensei's, or anyone else. All you are fighting for is a corrupted vision that you seek to impose. You want to enslave the world Obito, nothing more."

"Well then if you are so certain of my intentions then you had been kill me now while you have the chance Kakashi, if you think you are capable of doing so." With that the fallen Uchiha raised up his blade, preparing to end the life of his former comrade.

Kakashi too raised his kunai, before charging it with his _Chidori_.

The two men sprinted towards each other, intending on exchanging what would likely be the final blows. At the very last moment Obito used his _Rinnegan_ to send a gravity burst into his adversary's arm, breaking it and canceling his attack.

Kakashi wasn't able to completely dodge the Uchiha's own strike, and thus ended up with a sword in the side of his torso, before being kicked to the ground.

"I told you that I was better Kakashi. Now it is time to end it."

"Not yet boy. Much as I enjoy watching one of my fellow perverts get his ass handed to him I don't think my son or my grandchildren would appreciate it if I let you kill him."

Turning the _Sharingan_ wielder took note of the white haired Sanin approaching slowly.

"Ah Jiraiya of the Sanin, to what do I owe the pleasure? Shouldn't you be helping out your girlfriend and the other Kage?"

"Oh believe me I wanted to, but it seems as though your former teammate wanted a shot at the old bastard instead. More importantly I lost the 'rock paper scissors' match that we had and thus I had to come save his dumb ass."

"I see, well I believe you will be disappointed as well. You more than anyone else should know what the _Rinnegan_ is capable of. Not only that but you cannot touch me with any Jutsu that you wield. After I am done here I will be going after your 'grandchildren' next so save your rage for when I force you to watch me kill them."

The white haired man growled, before launching a flurry of kunai, which of course passed through the man harmlessly.

Letting out a deep, annoyed, sigh the man shook his head before returning his attention to the man who lay prone before him.

"I told you that nothing you can do can..."

Before the man could finish he cried out in pain, and stumbled forward. Slowly glancing backwards the Uchiha noticed the source of his injury, a tri-pronged kunai sticking out of his back.

"B-but how? You can't..."

"I was there when Minato sealed the Kyuubi, he mentioned a man with an orange mask and putting one of his seals on him. Did you know that they never vanish unless he wills it?"

"But you cannot use the _Hiraishin_. Only my former Sensei could teleport to his own marks." the man tried pointing out, before he fell down onto one knee.

"True, but _I_ didn't teleport to his mark, I simply used the Jutsu on one of his own weapons. They are all linked after all."

"Clever..." Obito muttered out, before falling forward onto the ground.

 _***SooP***_

"I must admit you put up quite a fight." Madara taunted, as he slowly walked towards his fallen opponent. "In fact I would almost go so far as to admire you as an opponent, you did put up a better fight than any of the other Kage after all."

Once more the Uchiha summoned forth his flaming army to stand before the six injured Ninja.

"It is all for naught though, even with the other five Kage you cannot hope to defeat me. No one can match me in this age."

"If anyone has any bright or crazy ideas… I'm all for them." Mei muttered out, as she watched their inevitable death slowly approaching.

"Well I do have a crazy stupid idea, the problem is that it will probably kill us as well." The Namikaze muttered out.

"To be honest I wasn't really thinking that we would live through this war anyway, might as well go down with a bang eh 'A'?"

"I suppose so you stubborn old bastard. There are certainly worse ways to die."

"As long as we take him with us, I vote we try it."

"I agree with the Kazekage. Alright lover boy show us what you got." Tsunade replied with a smirk.

The blonde muttered, before surprising everyone as he began to flow through a long list of hand signs.

As this was happening a powerful barrier of air began forming around the five leaders, and himself, in an attempt to shield them.

Gaara immediately noticed it, and further enforced the dome with his sand.

"Oh what's this? A last desperate attempt at victory perhaps? Very well, let me see what you are capable of. Perhaps you will be able to draw blood on me yet." The psychotic man called out in a challenging tone.

"Let's see you survive this you crazy son of a bitch." Arashi muttered out before finishing his technique.

" _Wind Release: Rotational Halt"_

For an single moment in time the area seemed deathly quiet. The wind completely stopped and there was an eerie silence that prevailed.

For that instance the Kage, and even Madara himself, believed that the technique had failed.

Then the true scope of the Jutsu came into existence.

Winds stronger than anything that had ever occurred before roared to life. At over a thousand miles an hour the air tore the entire area into dust.

The surrounding mountains were leveled, trees were uprooted and then disintegrated, the ground itself was torn asunder with forces that should not even exist.

Madara's Susanoo army was almost instantly obliterated, the winds having ripped them asunder near instantaneously.

The madman himself had enough reaction time to call upon his complete Susanoo to make an attempt at shielding himself from the lethal and awe inspiring technique, before it too began to dissolve.

It was like watching erosion happening on a grand and rapid scale; wind could, and would destroy, all things given enough time.

After what felt like an eternity, but was only a few seconds, the air calmed and the barrier that had managed to keep the Kage alive faded away.

Looking forward Tsunade could only gasp in awe at the destruction that a single Jutsu had wrought.

Standing before it all was Arashi Namikaze, who let out a sigh before falling forward to the ground in exhaustion.

"He did it… amazing, what power that man wields." The Mizukage muttered out in shock.

The entire area had been turned to a level plain, with nothing but rock beneath them. Everything else had been annihilated.

"Looks like we got the bastard… although a bit of assistance wouldn't hurt you know." The fallen man groaned out, earning a chuckle from the Hokage as she limped over to assess his wounds.

"Not bad I guess, I suppose this makes up for knocking me up and leaving."

"Excuse me but you were the one who was gone the next morning, I was going to invite you to breakfast… and then ask for more sex afterwards."

"Such a gentleman." The blonde Kage teased before starting a series of medical Jutsu, "Tell you what, maybe now that the war is over you and Jiraiya can _both_ take me out for dinner. I figure you two perverts owe me for one reason or another and I could use a night of pampering and kinky action."

Elsewhere the white haired Sanin cringed for unknown reasons, having a rather discomfortable feeling that his karma at being a pervert had finally caught up to him.

"Tell you what, if you can get me walking before anyone else manages to see me like this then I might just…"

The man was interrupted by a slow clapping, as the nearby Kage froze in horror.

"Now that was impressive. If it wasn't for my use of the _Rinnegan_ at the last moment I am not sure I would have survived your final attack. Truly you have earned my respect. Congratulations, the Namikaze have now been added to my list of clans to be respected and feared. The only others are the Senju and the Uzumaki besides my own of course."

"Th-that's not possible… how are you still standing!?"

"What a surprise that the Raikage is the one who cannot comprehend the situation. As I have said before, no one is capable of defeating me now that Hashirama is dead."

"How did my grandfather ever defeat this man?" Tsunade whispered out in terror, as the six Ninja watched their enemy stroll towards them.

 _***SooP***_

"Natsuko we need to go, Tsunade is in danger."

The blonde nodded before approaching her sister to be teleported into combat.

"Whoa whoa whoa you aint gonna go with me you gotta flee. I told 'A' I would stay but no way do I say 'hey your on your own' so I got a bone to pick with him, catch my jive slim?"

The two girls stared at the dark skinned Jinchuriki for a moment, before Natsuko happily nodded.

"Heck yeah rapping-kun lets go!"

"Not without me your not, Hokage-Sama was my Sensei and I am sure as hell not standing by and letting you run off on your own again." Hinata exclaimed as she ran up and put her arm on the redhead's shoulder.

With that the four Ninja teleported to the battlefield.

 _***SooP***_

"Such a shame that it had to end this way, I suppose I do still need two more of the Jinchuriki though now that I can extract the one tail from you boy."

The various Kage growled, attempting to think of some way to retaliate against the man but none of them were even close to fighting strength.

"Any more crazy stupid ideas?" Mei muttered out hopefully.

"Actually I have a few crazy ideas!" A happy voice called out, as the Kage looked on in shock at the arrival of the four new combatants.

"NO! Akane get Natsuko out of here it is too dangerous!" Tsunade cried out in horror.

"You too 'B'! We cannot allow him to..."

"Aint no way am I not gonna stay."

"Hinata go and help the Kage, we will handle Madara."

"I hate to interrupt you Akane-chan but I must disagree. The man is our ancestor and thus our mess to clean up. Sasuke, it is time to show him what the future of the Uchiha clan can do." Itachi called out, as he and his brother walked into the clearing.

"I agree, let's see what the old man can do."

Madara scowled in irritation, sure now he had all three remaining Jinchuriki within his grasp but now he had at least five more irritating bugs to crush.

 _***SooP***_

"It is time to end this war once and for all. _Summoning Technique: Gedo Statue"_

At his call a massive object appeared behind the former Uchiha leader, rising to the clouds themselves.

"Now I shall take the remaining Biju and become the God of this world."

Three chains made of blue fire ripped forth from the statue, and impaled Gaara, 'B', and Natsuko.

"No 'B'!" the dark skinned Kage shouted, before grabbing hold of the chain and attempting tear it from his brother.

"That is pointless, these are not physical chains and they are powered by the _Rinnegan_ itself. They are completely indestruct..."

Before he could finish his explanation the object that had attached itself to the blonde Jinchuriki began to quickly degrade and disintegrate as black ink flowed up it towards the massive creation.

"What is going on!?"

"You didn't really think that I would _allow_ you to kill my sister in the same way that was attempted on me do you? I knew that no matter how much I fortified the seal it could be broken eventually so I took a different approach. I added a defensive mechanism to it. By attempting to extract the Kyuubi without both Natsuko and it's consent the protective measures have activated and retaliated... violently."

The ancient man could only watch in horror as the Fuinjutsu ran back into the statue, and began to cover it in strange markings.

Moments later the chains that had been attempting to tear the Biju from both the Kazekage and 'B' faltered and fell apart, leaving the two terribly weakened but alive.

More importantly was the fact that the statue now began to crack and fall apart under the strange seals, releasing the Biju Chakra that had been stored inside.

"Wh-what have you done! YOU HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING!"

"That's kind of the point..."

"I WILL KILL YOU! YOUR BONES SHALL TURN TO DUST BEFORE MY POWER!"

"You can certainly try" the redhead's sister growled out, before she was once more cloaked in a golden fire, her pupils replaced by crosses once more.

The two loyal Uchiha joined their comrades, both of their _Mangekyo_ activating as well.

"Four against one... sounds pretty fair to me." Sasuke muttered with a smirk.

"Let us end this cycle... once and for all."

***Omake***

"Alright let's show them what we can do! Akane-chan do you want to handle this or should I?" The blonde happily giggled.

Her sister merely shrugged, before holding out her hand in a closed fist.

"Rock paper scissors?"

The Uzumaki sisters began their fierce battle, tying quite a few times, as the others watched on with stunned expressions.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Neji muttered out, his eye developing a slight twitch.

"Scissors cuts paper Natsuko, looks like I win."

"Awwwww man... fine" the girl pouted before stepping backwards as her sister unsheathed her three katanas.

"So Akane what exactly are you going to..." Sakura attempted to inquire, before the redhead muttered out her technique.

" _Hiraishin Third Step"_

"Wait what did she just say?" Ino called out, before the Uzumaki threw the Kusanagi towards the group of white enemy soldiers.

Then she vanished, before appearing in an entirely different spot, her two remaining blades already cutting into an enemy soldier. As the slashes finished she released the grip, allowing one sword to fly off further into the group as she vanished once more.

This time she appeared next to the first blade, catching it in mid air and bringing it down onto another enemy, before impaling another Zetsu.

Suddenly she was gone again, but this time when she reappeared there were two of her, then four, then eight.

Soon the entire area was full of the identical girl, each violently bringing an enemy to its end before vanishing once more.

To the untrained eye it looked almost random, until one looked closer and noticed that it was more like an intricate dance. A clone would kick an enemy, only to have another appear behind it and impale said soldier.

A redhead would toss one of the katanas into the air, only for another to catch it from seemingly nowhere.

If Itachi hadn't known better he was sure that the girl had found a way to use the _Kage Bunshin_. But his eyes had detected the subtle difference.

They weren't clones, instead she was moving so fast as to create after images of herself. If he wasn't an ANBU, and therefore around the others who told stories of the previous war, he would have claimed it impossible.

But he knew that Minato Namikaze had accomplished the same thing. Stories of his speed were passed down like legends among those masked Ninja.

Apparently his daughter had mastered the technique to an even higher degree.

Finally the last one fell, just as the girl breathed out a deep sigh.

" _Fury of the Namikaze"_

 _***SooP***_

Up in the land of the dead Minato suddenly perked up and gave a shout of joy.

"HA! I told you all that my daughter would name a kick ass technique after me!"

"Yes yes very nice Minato-kun now sit back down and either raise or fold, you are interrupting the poker game again." Kushina scolded, before returning to her own cards and glancing across the table at the other Hokage who had gathered.

***Omake***

"Hey Kyuu-chan what's up?"

"Natsuko-chan we need to talk"

The blonde happily smiled, unaware of what was about to happen.

"Sure thing what about?"

"I think... that we should stop seeing each other."

The blonde instantly froze, as she tried to process what was happening.

"Wh-what do you mean? Are you mad at me?"

"No no it's nothing you did Natsuko-chan I promise. I have seen the world through your eyes and... you can't be happy with me. No matter what happens or what changes I will be stuck inside of you. We will never truly be together in the real world."

"B-b-but Akane-chan said she could work on a way to..."

"It won't work Natsuko-chan, I know that your sister is talented but if you remove me it is too much of a risk to you... besides even if I was in the real world..." The creature trailed off, not wanting to have the conversation.

"What? Even if you could what?"

"Natsuko-chan I am immortal. I will never age or truly depart from this world. When you pass on like all humans must do then I will be left here. You need to fall in love and have a family with someone that is like you. I... I can't bear the thought of falling in love with you and then watching you slowly die and not being able to stop it."

Now even the red haired woman had tears in her eyes as she pulled the girl into a fierce hug.

"We will never be able to have children, we will never be able to grow old together, when you pass on I will never be able to see you in the afterlife again..."

"I... I understand but..."

"We will always be friends and I will always care about you and your sister Natsuko-chan but... it has to be this way. I care about you too much to waste your life on something that cannot end happily. Besides you have so many people who care about you in the real world."

"You do too Kyuu-chan, you just don't realize it yet. But I understand and I will always care about you."

The woman smiled, before a slight wave of her hand sent the blonde back to her own world.

Within moments the blonde ran to her sister, who brought her into a powerful hug and allowed her to cry for as long as she needed.

***A/N***

Whole lot going on! Madara's plan got wrecked, Tobi and Kakashi got wrecked, the Kage and Arashi got wrecked... whole lot of ass kicking going on.

On a side note the story is winding down, and as much as I hate to say it, Sum of our Parts will probably be done in one or two more chapters :(

Hope everyone has enjoyed the twists and turns of the story thus far!


	36. Greater than the

**Sum of our Parts**

Greater than the…

***I do not make any $$$ on Naruto. ***

"Le gasp!" normal talking

'das fuken?' normal thinking

" _set-you-on-fire-no-jutsu"_ Jutsu and other techniques

"I will murder you!" Tailed beast talking

 _***SooP***_

"You four will pay for your interruptions. There is no one alive who can hope to match me. I have defeated all of your Kage so what hope do you have?"

"That's because baa-chan and the others don't play well together. Onee-chan and I are awesome at teamwork."

The older Uchiha blinked in confusion for a moment before scoffing.

"It does not matter how talented you are the end result will be the same."

"We will see about that Madara." Itachi interrupted, his _Sharingan_ blazing to life alongside his brother's.

"Very well, let us duel like proper Uchiha then, _Susanoo_."

With that the massive Chakra creation formed around the resurrected man, glaring down at those whom its master saw as inferior.

"I am glad we worked on perfecting this. Akane-chan, Natsuko-chan you two should stay back. We should be able to defeat him." the ANBU commanded.

Moments later two more Chakra constructs formed from their respective owners before all three clashed.

 _***SooP***_

"Hinata what are you doing here? You need to get them out of this place!" Tsunade tried shouting, but at this point was far too injured and weak to do so.

"We both know I can't force them to do anything. Besides I am not going to be the one who let the five Kage and their grandfather die." The girl followed by using the _Summoning Jutsu_ that she had been given, using the slugs to help heal the other injured warriors.

"Jiraiya and Kakashi should be here within a few minutes to help get all of you off the battlefield, until then just keep your heads down and focus on recovery."

"We will be fine for now, you should go and help the Uzumaki sisters." Gaara urged.

"They will be fine. Even with all of my improvements I doubt I could be any more than a burden to them in this battle."

 _***SooP***_

As the three _Susanoo_ clashed it quickly became apparent that despite how powerful the two younger Uchiha were, it was only a matter of time before they would be defeated by the more powerful experienced warrior. Each time one of them would parry his blade it would force them back, and cause noticeable strain on the sibling.

"We have to help them Akane-chan. They won't be able to win at this rate."

The redhead nodded, her mind whirling on what would be the best way to aid their allies, until she came upon a rather unique idea. "Natsuko, what if we tried that idea you had concerning the 'grand finale'?"

Her sister instantly perked up, a bright smile adorning her face. "You mean it Akane-chan? Oh this will be sooooo cool!"

Returning the smile, the redhead proceeded to produce the last bulk container of specialized ink that she had, hoping it would be enough.

 _***SooP***_

"Foolish children, even as Uchiha you cannot hope to stand against me. I will admit that your power is impressive though, so why do you fight for Konoha? Why not join me and create the perfect world? I have heard about the destruction of my former clan. This is just another reason to cast off the imperfections of this reality and join with me in creating a new one."

"No offense Madara... but you are insane. I am not going to abandon everyone who has placed their faith in me just because you had a rough life and dislike your former village. The fact that you are willing to turn everyone into mindless slaves just further demonstrates why you were never made Hokage."

The older Uchiha frowned at the youngest one's comeback, before glancing over at his smirking older brother.

"I assume that you stand by your brother in his choice?"

"Of course."

The man's frown deepened, "So be it."

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke and Itachi stood, surrounded by their most powerful techniques and gasping for breath. Opposite of them stood an ancient Uchiha, powerful and cunning beyond measure.

"A-any ideas?" the younger of the two gasped out.

"Not q-quite yet. He s-seems to be far more powerful and ex-experienced than either of us though."

Sasuke nodded in confirmation. At least they had come to the same conclusion, they were hopelessly outmatched.

Before the older man could resume the match the ground began to shake as another soldier stepped onto the field of giants.

A warrior made of earth and rock, of root and dirt. A being created from the mind of a young girl.

The _Last Avatar_

Once more it was covered in seals, appearing more like a tattooed berserker than a dignified warrior such as themselves.

"Interesting… so the reports were true after all. It appears as though…" Before he could finish his statement the giant charged forward with impressive speed, ducking under slash from the Uchiha's blade and landing a powerful punch into his face.

The _Susanoo_ , and Madara along with it, staggered backwards from the force.

He retaliated, blurring forward with a barrage of attacks… which were gracefully dodged.

'How is she dodging this well? Natsuko was never this talented in Taijutsu and…'

The older Uchiha's musings halted when he glanced down and saw the young blonde cloaked in her flaming cloak and next to her, in a meditative position, was her sister.

"You let Akane-chan take control of the giant…"

Natsuko seemed to hear the mutterings, and smiled in response.

Moments later the two of them were consumed in a bright golden flame, as a massive fox coalesced from thin air.

"How about a four on one?"

The two Uchiha grinned, and joined back in with the two sisters.

 _***SooP***_

"Jeesh look at the two of you. I leave you alone for five minutes and you got the crap kicked out of you."

"Can it Jiraiya and help me up." Tsunade growled in annoyance.

Arashi chuckled slightly, then groaned from the pain that the laughter put him in.

"I'm just saying hime," the white haired Sanin continued on, ignoring the glares that he was receiving from his former teammate, "I kind of expected more from two 'Kage level Ninja' along with the four other Kage. Hell Kakashi and I won our fights and we are still standing despite the ridiculously bull crap powers that Tobi had."

"Yeah well you weren't fighting an ancient and all powerful Uchiha sociopath."

"True, but he did have the _Rinnegan_... plus he could like phase through attacks... and... stuff... HE COULD HAVE BEEN MY GREATEST PUPIL! Imagine it hime! The power to walk through walls and hordes of rampaging women! The power to stick my face through clothing! Think of the potential benefits to mankind! Think of the research!"

At this point the man was practically drooling as the Hokage and Kamikaze leaned on his shoulders.

"You know if it wasn't for the fact that I can't stand on my own..." the wandered muttered out.

"Perhaps _you_ should be in charge of the spy network Namikaze-Sama, lord knows I could use someone who does more than just spy on women controlling it..."

"You're so mean to me hime..." the toad summoner pouted.

Meanwhile Kakashi helped both Mei and Gaara up, while stealing glances at the Mizukage.

"We are here too you know... assholes..." 'A' called out, glancing over to where Onoki lay as well.

 _***SooP***_

"I must say you have put up a considerable better fight than the five Kage did. The only two who have ever pushed me this far were Hashirama and Arashi Namikaze."

"Yeah Gramps is awesome!"

The Uchiha blinked in confusion.

"You… are related to him?"

"Of course, him and baa-chan got together a long time ago."

"Who are your parents?"

"Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki."

This time it had been Akane who answered the man, trying to buy time for the four of them to recover and form a plan.

Despite their best efforts the Uchiha was simply too powerful for them to defeat, even in a four on one fight. Both Sasuke and Itachi were beginning to tire and Natsuko had never controlled the Kyuubi's Chakra in such a way before.

Despite her own skill in close combat her form was simply not strong enough to damage their enemy.

"So… Uzumaki, Senju, and Namikaze. The only three clans I have ever respected all coming together in you two… and yet you are greater than all three. Greater than the sum of your parts. It is a pity that you two are not older and wiser, if you were, I would guess that you could potentially rival even my arch-nemesis. Too bad I can see the potential in you and thus you must die before you can truly become a threat to me."

"Truly become a threat? You mean like ruining your plans for world domination? Seems like they already did that." Sasuke muttered, earning a growl from the resurrected Uchiha.

Pulling back his sword the _Rinnegan_ wielder let loose a swing and a massive wave of energy at the same time, tossing the two brothers back and temporarily removing them from the battle.

Next his armored form delivered a massive kick to the summoned giant and dropped it to the ground as well, leaving only the two sisters remaining in the Biju's energy.

It was strange, watching the man prepare to strike her sister and her down from a third party's point of view. Almost like it wasn't happening, almost like it was just a story taking place rather than an actual battle.

Suddenly she was reminded of something and the _Avatar_ launched a large rock projectile from its arm towards the remaining _Susanoo_.

Madara easily saw the attack coming, and dodged without effort, allowing the last ditch effort to fail.

Or so he thought.

His eyes widened as the summoned giant disappeared in a flash of light.

 _***SooP***_

Had Madara _truly_ been the one who had attacked Konoha and the fourth Hokage all those years ago then he would have known what to expect. Perhaps he would have even been ready for it. But he hadn't been, and thus he was not.

One no one else had noticed was the fact that the projectile itself had a _Hiraishin_ seal placed on it, coming from the creature it was simple for the redhead to manipulate the ink to do so.

The others who shared the battlefield watched on in shock… as the massive creature performed the legendary combo of the fourth Hokage.

Appearing instantly above the ancient _Susanoo_ the creature spun in midair, an _Odama Rasengan_ roaring into existence in its palm, before descending towards its target.

"H-how… Jiraiya I thought she couldn't perform any Ninjutsu!"

"She can't… but that doesn't mean she doesn't know _how_ to perform them. She is using the Chakra from the _Life Release_ just as Natsuko did before. Her sister taught her the technique despite the fact that she can't use it, she always felt bad that Akane never 'inherited' their father's Jutsu." The white haired man answered his Hokage, as the others watched on in terror as the sphere hit.

Then the battlefield was once more turned into a wasteland.

Shockwaves and winds that impressed even the Namikaze himself tore through the area, forcing the Ninja to take cover behind Itachi's own technique. The Uchiha had managed to see the impact seconds before and had thrown himself over the injured warriors to shield them from the collateral.

It still barely held.

" _NAMIKAZE STRIKE!_ "

Somewhere in the land of the deceased, a certain blonde haired father grinned with pride.

 _***SooP***_

Sasuke and Itachi deactivated their heavily draining techniques, just as the massive giant descended back into the earth and the Kyuubi's form once more vanished.

Madara's _Susanoo_ had been torn apart, and undoubtedly the man had been destroyed in the process. After all who could live through such a technique?

As the dust cleared the four received their answer.

A slight chuckling became a roaring laughter as the ancient man stepped into view. His armor had been destroyed and his body slightly bloodied but overall… he was intact.

"That… WAS TRULY MAGNIFICIENT! TRULY YOU ARE WORTHY OF THE FAMILIES WHOM YOU CARRY! I NAME YOU FOUR TO BE WORTHY OF MY PRESENCE! REJOICE, FOR ONLY A HANDFUL HAVE EVER HELD THIS HONOR!"

"Great I feel so very special…" the youngest Uchiha muttered, his expression being one of shock, horror, and annoyance.

With that the resurrected man brought out a war fan to engage in combat with his four opponents.

 _***SooP***_

The battle had begun simple enough, a four on one Taijutsu skirmish until it quickly escalated into a full out Jutsu battle.

Fire Ninjutsu clashed in beautiful and terrifying displays across the battlefield.

Mokuton ripped from the ground, lashing out towards its target.

Genjutsu were cast and repelled at terrifying rates.

 _Kage Bunshin_ filled the area in near endless hordes.

Yet throughout everything Madara kept the advantage.

Despite everything that the four Ninja could think up the elder man was simply too cunning and powerful. He had lived in near constant warfare after all. His _Sharingan_ gave him an almost supernatural ability to predict combat, even beyond what Itachi could achieve. Worse than all though was his use of the _Rinnegan_ , which he began to use liberally throughout the battle. Jutsu were absorbed and repelled, gravitational forces tore through the battlefield, and energy blasts cratered the ground.

The landscape, once relatively smooth due to the Namikaze's Jutsu, was now pocketed with imperfections.

Eventually the four began to fall back onto Taijtusu, to conserve energy, but even then the difference in skill levels was obvious.

It was only through sheer luck that the four siblings had managed to land the handful of blows that actually struck, and even then the effect had barely been noticeable.

Leaping backwards from a series of wooden spikes Madara delivered a kick to the older brother's chest and proceeded to charge for Sasuke, intent on breaking the annoying cycle of having his combat interrupted from afar.

This was where Akane finally saw her opening. Moving in from behind she activated her Dojutsu seal and cloaked herself from the man's sight, before drawing her blade and slashing forward.

It was only years of experience and Kenjutsu battles that allowed the elder Uchiha to dodge the attack, and even then he had not taken into account the extended reach of the blade from her _Sage Mode_.

The cut across his arm wasn't deep but would still affect his performance even if just slightly.

What was more frightening to the man was that he could only perceive the girl through his _Rinnegan_. Somehow she had come up with a way to hide herself from his more notable eye.

Scowling once more the man pulled forth a blade of his own, forcing the girl to unsheathe her mother's blade, and began a fierce close combat duel.

It was only Itachi's intervention with his ANBU sword that saved her from a particularly vicious strike.

"Itachi!"

The slight activation of a seal produced the former Sanin's blade, and allowed the redhead to toss it over to her newfound teammate.

Now the three duel wielders set about engaging in a flurry of blows, for once the battle having taken on a balance with neither side having any advantage.

Even with Akane's Hiraishin becoming active, and being able to strike from any angle they failed to land a single solid blow on their opponent, yet it kept him from delivering anything than a few minor slashes to either Ninja.

That is until a blunt strike from the handle of his war fan stunned the girl, and allowed him to kick the Uchiha to the ground.

The follow up was instantaneous, a swipe of his large weapons created a massive gust of wind, which he used to further strengthen a wave of fire, transforming the already formidable attack into a cyclone of fire.

Itachi didn't have the time to dodge, and had only a second to see his oncoming death, before the Uzumaki sister leapt to his protection, throwing her blades to the ground and extending both of her hands to try and stop the inferno.

The raw energy which signified her seal blazed to life, showing her desperate attempt to stop the Jutsu.

For a single moment the two forces clashed, Fuinjutsu against Ninjutsu, Uchiha against Uzumaki.

Finally, the flames ended, and the girl fell to her knees, her palms badly burned from the raw heat of the attack.

Yet she had succeeded in stopping the Jutsu, and saving one of her comrades. What she wasn't prepared for was the powerful kick that was sent into her arm, breaking at least one bone and sending her skipping across the ground to where her sister stood.

Immediately the blonde ran to her side, a look of terror on her face.

Itachi moved to prevent the man's counter attack, and clashed blades with the elder Uchiha.

"What a pity boy, you truly could have been the next great Uchiha but now…"

"He _is_ the next great Uchiha!"

Madara broke the stalemate, before dodging to the side, narrowly avoiding the younger brother's _Chidori_ after his enraged declaration.

A quick knee to the stomach in retaliation brought the youngest boy to his knees, before the man leapt back once more, avoiding an _Amaterasu_ and distancing himself from his four adversaries.

"No he is an imitation. Look at you and your so called 'friends'. I am still in near perfect health and two of you can barely stand. You have done quite a bit better than your leaders, and you have thwarted my plans in ways I could not imagine but the results will be the same. You four do not have the power or the will to stop me."

"I'll show you power and will…"

With that the blonde extended her palm towards the sky, moments before her sister placed her own hand upon the girl's.

A massive sphere of Chakra began to take shape, but instead of the normal blue colors it had a distinctively color. Seconds later white blades formed on the attack itself.

" _Uzumaki Odama Rasenshuriken!"_

" _Amaterasu_ "

The black flames from the older Uchiha's technique added in a wreath of flame to the already dangerous orb.

Natsuko pulled back, preparing to launch the attack, just as Madara activated his _Susanoo_.

"YES THAT'S IT, USE YOUR GREATEST TECHNIQUES! I WANT TO CRUSH YOU AT YOUR BEST!"

A half second later a black arrow pierced the Chakra construct.

An arrow being made of Sasuke's own _Amaterasu_ combined with his Susanoo. A trump card he had been saving to use so that one day he could impress his brother.

Glancing over he saw the slight nod that Itachi had given him, a nod of respect.

Madara's protected covering shattered, his Chakra having been lower than he originally anticipated.

The attack was hurled towards him.

He was not out of options though, not by a long shot.

He would activate the Deva path of his _Rinnegan_ and repel the attack, killing them with their own ability. True justice in his mind.

Just as he was about to do so his vision became blurred. Both of his eyes could no longer focus on anything, as if they were covered in water.

But how? It wasn't a Ninjutsu and he was far beyond the point of any mere Genjutsu.

 _***SooP***_

Itachi watched the attack soar towards their mutual enemy, but noticed that the man seemed to be unable to concentrate, blinking his eyes rapidly as if to clear them.

Then he noticed the slight smirk of the redhead, and remembered a conversation from the Chunin exams.

 _***Flashback***_

"Wait if you put the seal on your sister and yourself, then why didn't you put one on Hinata? She could have destroyed Neji." Kurenai remarked, earning curious glances from the Hyuga heir who had been standing close enough to overhear the conversation.

"Because it messes up my Byakugan." The girl stated, her eyes never moving the match.

"So you tried to do so already then?" Asuma guessed, and earned nods from both Genin.

"It has something to do with coating them in a weird Chakra cloak." The white haired Sanin responded from his spot nearby.

The various Jonin, along with Itachi and Hizashi, turned to the man, interested in hearing his explanation.

"She tried explaining it to me when she first developed it, something to do with a layer of dense Chakra coating the person, which is probably why it messes up the girl's sight as well it isn't directly on the skin but an inch or so beyond it."

 _***End Flashback***_

But when had she managed to put any seals on the man? The closest she had gotten was… the few times she had landed Taijutsu blows...

A slight fear crept down the older brother's spine as he realized what the girl had perfected. With her blood sealing she could actually places the ink on her opponents through the slightest physical contact, and then rearrange it at will.

If her skills continued to develop there wouldn't be anyone who could defeat her in close combat.

 _***SooP***_

Madara internally swore as he heard the attack getting ever closer, fine if he couldn't somehow repel the attack he would just absorb it. This was a minor inconvenience to a warrior of his caliper and they were virtually exhausted.

Reaching out his hand he summoned forth the Preta path and prepared to absorb the Jutsu.

Just as it was about to come into contact his arm was jerked back, he could just make out the shape of vines having restrained him temporarily. It had taken the cooperation of all four clans to defeat him. The Namikaze technique, the Uzumaki Fuinjutsu, the Senju Mokuton, and the Uchiha flames.

He could only give a slight smile as he swore that for an instance… he saw Hashirama smiling down at him.

Then he knew only pain.

 _***SooP***_

The _Rasenshuriken_ tore into the man's chest, slicing through the armor effortlessly before digging into flesh, muscle, and bone.

Then it exploded.

The release itself was not overwhelming or awe inspiring, but the effect was. Madara Uchiha was slowly incinerated away at a cellular level from heat that had no business existing on this world.

Moments later his remaining _Susanoo_ crumbled as he fell forward. His legs had been completely burned off, though parts undoubtedly remained.

His left arm was burned down to a stump.

His right arm was missing everything from his elbow down.

Most of his internal organs had been vaporized, along with one of his lungs and part of the other.

He would be dead in seconds.

And yet rather than use this few precious moments of clarity, apparently whatever had been binding his vision was destroyed as well, to strike down the four _children_ before him… the elder Uchiha gave a last laugh. A silent praise and thanks to those who had finally proven him wrong, that cooperation and peace between the great clans was not only possible, but beautiful.

Then the man faded from this world.

 _***SooP***_

"Is he…"

"I would imagine so, but he has been exceedingly difficult to kill."

"Maybe we should burn the remains from here, just to be safe?"

Itachi nodded in agreement with his younger brother, before using _Amaterasu_ to burn away any more proof of the man's existence.

There was thought of retrieving the Dojutsu that he bore or saving the body for research. He had no interest in either such things.

"So does this mean…."

"Yes Natsuko, we won."

"HELL YEAH WE DID!" the young blonde cheered enthusiastically, before almost falling over in exhaustion herself.

Luckily her sister caught her, she always did after all, and helped to support her as they began making their way back towards the allied camp.

 _***SooP***_

Ten year later…

"Hokage-Sama we really should start the meeting."

"We need to wait on the report before we take any action. I will not risk such a thing on mere rumors."

"I understand that Hokage-Sama but…"

"Such talk has caused terrible losses before, imagine what Konoha would have been like if the Uchiha peace talks had continued rather than simply acting."

"Fair enough Hokage-Sama."

The blonde smiled at the head of the Hyuga clan. Neji had taken his ascension to the position magnificently and his first action had been the order to remove the _Caged Bird_ seal and to reunite into a single clan.

"Hokage-Sama if we are not going to begin immediately perhaps we could take a small break to…"

"What's wrong teme? Missing your two girlfriends already?"

"Shut it kibbles! At least I have wives, you are still trying to find a date for tomorrow night if I'm not mistaken."

"That's only cause allllll the ladies want a piece of this, I just can't make up my mind which…"

"Considering the odor that you currently bear I find it highly illogical that you are able to keep a woman's attention Inuzuka-San."

Kiba growled at Shino in annoyance from across the table, before flipping off his former teammate with a pout.

Any further arguments were interrupted by a red flash from the corner of the council room.

"It appears as though the ANBU commander has finally graced us with her presence." Kiba muttered out in sarcasm.

The slight glare, although he couldn't really tell from behind that creepy mask, earned silence from the feral boy as the warrior walked up to her Hokage.

"Natsuko"

"Onee-chan, what news?"

"Gaara-Sama has denied all claims of the rumors, there is no shortage of Cumin for the proposed ramen recipe."

"Thank Kami… very nice job onee-chan."

"Of course, by the way Shikamaru-San, the Kazekage would like me to remind you that he is visiting next month, and if he is not pleased with the state of your youngest child's room then he will be making his irritation known."

The Nara heir paled, remembering that the last time Gaara had 'made his irritation known' he was buried up to his neck in sand and left to dig himself out. There had been far too much dirt in 'uncomfortable places' after that.

Meanwhile Temari giggled at her husband's distress.

"Well since the crisis has been averted does anyone else have any pressing news?" The Uzumaki happily inquired, as she motioned for her sister to take a seat next to her.

"Nothing pressing Hokage-Sama, the peace that was achieved over a decade ago is still going strong and since the five major nations joined together most of the smaller have agreed to partake as well. Trade is up, public opinion is up, there are a dozen new restaurants opening up including one that…"

"Akimichi-San as riveting as this conversation is I am sure that Hokage-Sama and her sister wish to cut this meeting as brief as possible, after all the commander has just returned and my cousin has become quite… 'pent up' from lack of interaction." Neji smirked as the village leader blushed. He liked to assume that Akane did as well but with the mask… well it was very difficult to tell.

"Ah of course, other than that I got nothing."

"The Uchiha clan is being rebuilt ahead of schedule as well. My mother finally convinced Itachi to take on a few wives and they have been quite… relentless in their pursuit of him."

The other males shuddered a bit, remembering what would become known as the 'great Itachi chase' as the poor man had fled from no less than twenty squealing young Kunoichi.

The blonde Uzumaki giggled slightly before nodding as well.

"If that is all then I believe we can call it a day, same time Friday?"

"Of course Hokage-Sama." The others called out.

 _***SooP***_

Peace

It was hard fought and bitterly earned but it had finally been achieved, peace in the elemental nations.

Sure there had been the occasional attempts to break the comforting unification, but with all of the alliances that had been made, and the terror that most nations felt towards the two Uzumaki sisters, none had sought full out war.

Eventually it had just become the norm, with no one desiring anything else.

The older generation had been able to retire, something that before would have been impossible. Now Kurenai and the previous Jonin spent most of their time teaching useful skills at the academy or taking on individual students.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Arashi had chosen retirement and lived in the Senju compound while the two sisters had been built a completely new residence.

Akane and Natsuko Uzumaki stood on their balcony overlooking the village.

It was dusk and a beautifully clear sky lay overhead.

The sun had just finished setting and a slight chill settled onto the comfortable silence of the village.

"We finally did it onee-chan. Everyone is safe, there is no more war, and everyone is happy."

"Indeed, mother and father would be proud of you Natsuko."

"Proud of both of us."

"Hey you two come back to bed, I told you what the 'consequences' would be if you made Akane-chan leave on extended missions again _Hokage-chan_."

The blonde giggled before walking back towards their princess and mutual wife, followed closely by her sister.

***Omake***

"H-Hinata... more..."

The Hyuga gladly obeyed, grabbing onto the blonde's thighs and pulling her closer towards her face.

With her enhanced vision she managed to catch sight of her other lover moving gently between her own legs, before she cried out in ecstasy before...

Bolting upright Hinata glanced to her right, and noticed an empty bed.

Then the fear gripped her once more, had it been a dream? Were her fantasies and desires once more only a product of her mind? Had she completely imagined the entire relationship with the two sisters and was only now coming back to reality? Did she even want to return to such a life?

Before any further traitorous thoughts could flow through her mind the bedroom door opened, and a barely clad Natsuko sleepily walked in.

"Sorry if I woke you, had to use the bathroom." she whispered out.

"That's okay Natsuko, come back to bed." Hinata glanced behind her at the other voice, and noticed her other wife sitting up next to her, still slightly groggy but considerably more functional than the Hokage.

It hadn't been a dream after all.

***Alternate Scene***

Iruka looked at the assigned teams nervously, once more going over them in his mind. Internally he swore, wondering just what in Kami's name the Hokage was thinking. Externally he was composed and normal.

"Team Seven will be Akane Uzumaki, Natsuko Uzumaki, and... Sasuke Uchiha..."

The screeching interrupted his announcement with force.

"WHY ARE THOSE TWO ALLOWED WITH SASUKE-KUN IT SHOULD ONLY BE THE BEST KUNOICHI LIKE..."

"ME! Exactly forehead! Thank you for agreeing with..."

"I WAS GOING TO SAY ME PIG!"

Before the two academy students could get any further into a fight they were cut off, "SHUT THE HELL UP YOU BRATS! Now like I said at the start of this, these teams were chosen by the Hokage himself. So if you have a problem you are more than welcome to go and..."

The two girls immediately ran for the door, pushing each other out of the way to try and leave and voice their 'complaints'.

Iruka's eye twitched violently, he could already tell that he would be getting chewed out by the village leader for telling them to voice their complaints to him directly.

Oh well nothing to do now but to continue on.

"As I was saying, you three will be with..." the man let out a deep sigh, knowing that this was going to ruin whatever friendship he had with the two girls, "Itachi Uchiha"

 _***SooP***_

"Greetings I am Itachi Uchiha, I have been chosen by the Hokage to teach this team."

"You mean mom insisted you teach me?"

The older boy fought back the urge to slap some sense and respect into his younger brother.

"Yes something like that. As I was saying I believe we should do some introductions, I will go first. My name is Itachi Uchiha, I am a Jonin of Konoha and I specialize in my clan Jutsu and Genjutsu. My favorite foods are cabbage and onigiri. My goal is to help restore my clan and aid you three in your journey to become Ninja."

After that older teenager turned and gestured towards the other Uchiha.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, I like training and becoming stronger. I dislike weakness and weak clans. My goal is to become the best Uchiha and to restore my clan."

Immediately the older boy frowned, true he had been on assignments outside of Konoha near constantly since the attempted coup but his mother should have noticed this personality flaw in his brother. If something wasn't done the boy would either turn into another Orochimaru or burn out like so many other gifted Ninja. Assuming his pride didn't get him killed first.

"My name is Natsuko Uzumaki! I like Ramen, and onee-chan, and jiji, and Hinata-chan, and..."

The girl continued on for a few minutes, listing random things that she enjoyed, before finishing her introduction. "I dislike those who want to hurt me or my sister and my dreams are to discover who my parents are and become Hokage!"

"Tsh not from what I have seen during the academy." Sasuke muttered out, earning another glare from both his 'Sensei' and the redhead.

"My name is Akane Uzumaki, I like spending time with my sister and training. I dislike those who try and hurt my sister or hate us. My goal is to help my sister fulfill her dream."

'A bit worrisome, she is far too focused on her sister and doesn't seem to have any other interests... my like my brother.'

"Well now that we have all been introduced why don't we meet tomorrow morning at nine o' clock, training ground seven. There you three will have your first true test to becoming Ninja."

The two sisters nodded before walking off.

Sasuke gave a 'hmph' before looking towards his brother, as if expecting him to explain everything.

"As I said the test is tomorrow. Do not think I will go easy on you just because you are my brother Sasuke, this test is to protect you just as much as it is to ensure you are capable."

With that the former ANBU vanished, leaving his brother to walk off towards the clan compound alone.

***A/N***

So this is the last chapter... and holy crap what a chapter it was. I had a lot of fun making the 'epic' fight scene and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

As for the story itself, when I first started I wasn't sure how it would turn out. Despite being my least viewed and reviewed story I have come to love it the most out of the three I have written thus far. Not only were the characters a blast to write but the twists and turns, the development, the sorrow, the love... it was just so much fun to create.

As for the alternate scene... it came to me when I first started the chapter and I realized it actually resembled what closely happened in the manga with Team seven. Once I get around to reworking the story and fixing a lot of little problems I plan on starting the 'alternate scenes' from the first chapter and making a separate story alongside the original, this one focusing on the situation of Itachi and Sasuke being the two girl's teammates. Let me know what you think about the idea!

I hope everyone enjoyed the ride and will stick around when I start my next full length feature, most likely to being in a week or two.

Till then thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!


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